Undecided
by A. F. Naturality
Summary: Ana, a former loyal High Elf, escapes and makes her way into Skyrim for a new life after she had been accused of murder. /Many things in this fanfic are either altered, canon to lore, or just made up by me. I love the Elder Scrolls series and tried to stay as close to the lore as possible. If I get something wrong, don't be afraid to let me know!/
1. Chapter One

Leaves crumpled up, their whines muffled by the boot of a lone Altmer carefully making her way into the vast lands of Skyrim. It was a lot warmer than she expected, but she was still close to Cyrodiil's border. She sat down, taking a deep breath. This was it. She was out of that terrible country filled with hypocritical mer. She stared at the bark of a tree in front of her and drifted off into a daydream. She pictured her family and how happy they used to be before they lost the youngest of her siblings. Apparently, guards found incriminating evidence against her. She was, then, accused of murder. With that, she escaped execution and fled to the northern country of Skyrim.

Suddenly, the Altmer snapped back into reality as she began to heard war cries. Worried it was guards that had followed her, she ran farther away from Cyrodiil, but the sounds only increased. She stopped as she saw men of red and blue viciously slaughtering one another.

" _Part of the Civil War, maybe?"_ she thought. She had heard whispers of the Imperial Empire and a rebel force in blue fighting because of the Aldmeri Dominion led by her kind. She scowled. Imperials sounded like weaklings whenever she heard about them and their near defeat in the Great War. Nords sounded like ignorant buffoons, but at least they were courageous enough to fight back against people.

She looked around and noticed a dying soldier dressed in blue. She snuck over to him and checked if he was still alive. The man gasped, startling her. Before he could shout, she covered his mouth and pressed a single finger to her lips. She went to introduce herself, but paused. Her name was no longer going to be that disgusting, traitorous elven name anymore. What would be fitting in a land such as this? She finally decided and spoke to the man.

"Shh. My name is Ana. I'm here to help you. What… What is going on?" she asked, feeling anxious and stupid.

"Ana? You're a… High Elf… How should I know… if you aren't one a them?" he asked, gesturing towards the Imperials.

"Trust me, I wouldn't want to be with any of those cowards in any era," she said, glaring at the men. The soldier let out a raspy laugh before he groaned in agony.

"Alright… I can trust you. Please… take my sword and shield… Leave me here and help my brothers fight…" he said, struggling to talk. Ana nodded and quickly grabbed them.

"I won't disappoint you," she said, feeling determined to draw blood of the dying man's enemies.

"Thank… you…" he said, slowly fading away into the mercy of death. Ana stared at him for a moment, thinking of something to say.

 _"_ _What is it these people say…? Talun… Talther… Talos!"_ she grinned victoriously as she remembered. She didn't care much for the "god". In fact, she didn't think it was necessary to worship a murder, but people can worship whom they want as long as they don't bother her.

"Talos be with you," she whispered, feeling awkward doing so. Shaking her head, she rushed into the battle, driving the sword straight through an Imperial's stomach just as he was about to decapitate a blue soldier. The blue one stared at her, faltering for a second before being stabbed through the neck by another Imperial. Ana let the man her sword was in drop to the ground as she began to fight his comrade. She slit his throat in one quick motion as soon a she got the chance. She moved on from one Imperial to the next until the blue side was victorious. The men and women stared at her in shock as they caught their breath. She thought of an explanation as she caught hers.

"Hello," she said softly, not knowing what else to say. The rest of them were speechless. Moments passed, and it was just endless staring. That is, until someone stepped forward. She was a woman roughly in her late thirties.

"Why does someone of your kind fight alongside the true brothers and sisters of Skyrim?"she asked loud and clear. Ana cleared her throat. Should she be honest and risk getting captured only to be murdered after finally tasting sweet freedom?

"I ran from my home, Cyrodiil wishing for a better life here," she explained, wishing to say nothing more. They didn't need to know more than that.

"And? What say you towards the Imperials?" a male blue soldier asked.

"She clearly explained it through the victory today! Ulfric Stormcloak would be proud!" a woman shouted this time. They all eventually agreed and cheered for her. Before she knew it, she was heading to a place called "Windhelm" with the many soldiers she'd learned were called the _Stormcloaks_. She should have figured with who their leader was. She began to dislike the man the more she heard about him. He stood for a good cause, but seemed like a power-hungry pig. The soldiers filled her in on their religion, politics, and more as they travelled. She shivered fiercely the farther they got from warmth. Windhelm was said to be the coldest city in the nine holds. She rubbed her arms, wondering how they could survive like this. She'd rather go back to the Rift, the hold they battled in.

Boisterous men and women stormed through the city gates, Ana in the very middle of them. She didn't have time to enjoy the castle-like build of everything before she was ushered into a large palace. Ahead of her were a throne and a long dining table. A man sat atop the throne, staring at her from across the room. His golden hair burned like the sun of the Summerset Isles.

Ana gulped as Stormcloak soldiers escorted her towards the "true king of Skyrim". Ulfric examined her for a few moments, letting the tension gnaw at Ana's stomach. The man's glare was as icy as the place he resided.

"Who is this high elf you have brought with you? A prisoner?" he asked, his voice booming without any effort. It rattled Ana's core, intimidating her. This was the man the Thalmor spoke of? She remembered the men and women laughing and joking underneath their hooded robes. Cowards. This man was a force to be reckoned with if the things she had been told were true.

"This high elf helped us win, King Ulfric!" a soldier shouted.

"She hates the empire as much as we do!" another shouted louder until every single one of them began to cause a ruckus. Ulfric silenced them by standing up and walking down towards Ana.

"Is this true, elf?" he asked, staring deeply into her eyes and right into her soul. Ana gulped.

"Y-Yes, sir," she said, not wanting to upset this guy. Ulfric didn't speak. The pause lasted so long; it scared Ana when Ulfric began to let out a hearty laugh.

"You expect me to believe you? I trust my brothers and sisters, but you… I have never seen someone of your kind so friendly with ours without a price. So, what shall it be? Power? Wealth?" he asked mockingly. Ana frowned.

"You think I'd have killed those men- spilling their blood- all for a trick?" she asked angrily. As soon as Ulfric's icy gaze returned, her heart froze with it. She gulped and continued, risking whatever punishment it was awaiting her. At least she wouldn't die by the hands of those she called her own. "I will assure you, Ulfric Stormcloak, I don't believe in Talos or your other gods as much as you do, but I'm not a cowardly fool as to rip it away from someone because they are deemed 'threatening'. I have no bad blood with any of you. It is just that you cannot trust someone other than a Nord."

The men and women surrounding her gasped and took a step back as if she were the carrier of a plague. Those who once praised her gave her looks of disgust. Ulfric's glare disappeared and a sly smirk began to grow on his lips.

"You've got some spunk, haven't you? You dare to speak against me when I can clearly send these soldiers after you in mere seconds. Not to mention the fact you could end up like King Torygg right now," Ulfric said in a low voice, getting real close to her face, "That… is the kind of soldier we need."

Ana was silent. She didn't feel like doing anything for a man who liked to play with his food.

 _"_ _I bet all these soldiers have something he wants to use against them,"_ she thought to herself as she looked around. Their disgust had disappeared and there were hopeful looks on their faces. Their expressions had changed so fast it was as if there were masks upon masks under their helmets. "Puppets" was the first word she thought of. To her, it was all theatrics. A show put on to please. This Ulfric Stormcloak probably never leaves this place anyway except to show off.

"I'll… have to think about it. It's very sudden," she said, making up something other than "No". Ulfric nodded.

"New to Skyrim. Right…" he said, "Sleep on it. I'll let the owner of Candlehearth Hall know you may stay for the night free."

Ana nodded and walked out of the building as she was dismissed. She looked around and took in the sights. There were two bowls of fire in front of her as she stepped out. Near the one farthest from her, a woman stood there, begging for septims and trying to warm up. Ana went up to her.

"Miss? Are you alright?" she asked.

"Do I look alright to you? I'm freezing and no one will give me a single septim!" she snapped. Ana frowned and walked off. Being poor doesn't mean she needed to be mean. As Ana walked past the woman, her arms only got colder and she could see her breath.

 _"_ _Odd… Is this normal?"_ she asked herself mentally. She went up to a man loudly spouting nonsense about Dunmer. Reluctantly, she asked him where Candlehearth Hall was.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Are you ssstupid?" he slurred, laughing in her face, "Right behind me, misss-y."

Ana scowled at the strong smell of mead coming from him. He obviously had too much to drink. As he stared at her longer, he noticed her ears and scowled. He started to scream out that she was an Imperial spy. Ana rolled her eyes and sighed, ignoring the drunken moron. She went inside the long building and sighed in relief as her freezing arms warmed up.

"Cold, huh? I've got somethin' to warm you up," a man sitting at a counter with a bottle of alcohol in his hand said with a smile. Ana cautiously stepped forward.

"Don't tell me you're a drunkard like the scumbag outside," she said as she sat next to him. He let out a laugh.

"Of course not. The name's Sam. You?" he asked. There was something off about him. Ana couldn't place her finger on it, but it was there.

"Marianne," Ana lied. For a split second she could have worn she saw a smirk appear on the man's face. A shiver went down her spine.

"Well, alright, _Marianne_. How about a drinking contest. You and me. I'll even let you have my prized staff," he offered. Ana thought for a moment. What'd she have to lose?

"You know what? Sure. What do you have?" she asked. Sam grinned and slid a drink over to her. It had a sweet and sour smell to it, causing her nose to shrivel up.

"Ah, just try it. It's good. Trust me," Sam encouraged, taking a large gulp of his own drink and belching loudly afterward. Ana chuckled and looked at the drink with a bit of doubt.

 _"_ _Ah, what the heck?"_ she thought and chugged it. Her head suddenly felt light. She let out a giggle after burping herself.

"See? What'd I tell you? You good for another round?" Sam asked. Ana accepted, wanting to feel giddier. The drunker she got, the less she could see Sam's devilish grin.

"Alright, alright. You win. How about I get you-" Sam began just before Ana passed out, falling hard onto the floor. When she awoke, she did _not_ recognize where she was.

 _"_ _Gods, where am I?_ " she thought to herself, wondering what the hell she got herself into last night. Might as well try to figure this out.


	2. Chapter Two

"Hey! Wake up, you drunken blasphemer!" shouted someone- a woman presumably- angrily. Ana groaned and opened her eyes slowly. She looked up to see a woman in orange and yellow robes glaring down at her. Ana looked around, confused. There was a fountain in the middle of the room and risqué statues of a woman around the room.

"Wh…Where am I? Who are you?" Ana asked. The woman scoffed.

"You were so drunk last night I figured you wouldn't remember trashing the place and rambling on and on about a Sam and a staff of some sort. I might have let you go until you started fondling the statues of our Dibella," the woman snapped. Ana looked at her with a odd expression.

"Dib…ella?" she asked. The woman huffed and shook her head.

"Either way, you need to clean this place up. Now," the woman snapped and walked off, tending to her other duties. Ana began cleaning up and trying to remember the other night. She found a note and opened it up. Her eyes widened as she saw the name "Sam" at the bottom of the letter.

 _We need the following to repair the broken staff:_

 ** _Giant's Toe_**

 ** _Holy Water_**

 ** _Hagraven Feather_**

 ** _~Sam_**

Ana realized everything she had to pick up were the ingredients for repairing the staff. She sighed. Why'd he even offer it if it was broken? She shoved the note into a pocket of her and rushed over to the woman.

"I-I cleaned up everything, and I'm sorry for messing up the place and… the statues," Ana said, blushing as she tried to picture herself fondling a statue. She wasn't usually perverted but then again, she wasn't usually drunk. Maybe that's why everyone liked her at parties…

"Do you remember what I was going on about at all?" Ana asked the woman.

"Hm… You were going on about a man named Grok in Rorikstead. Besides that, it was Sam and the staff he promised you," she told her.

"Oh, okay. Where is Rorikstead?"

"Just west of here. Before you ask, 'here' is Markarth."

"Thank you, miss!" Ana grinned and headed towards the door.

"Don't come back just to do this all over aga-!" the priestess was cut off as Ana slammed the door behind her. She made her way through Markarth, not taking the time to see the sights of the 'safest city in the Reach' (something the guards preached as she ran by). As she reached the exit, a man snuck up behind a woman and stabbed her right then and there. The guards immediately went after him, killing him with a sword through the heart.

"Safest. Right," Ana mumbled to herself before taking her leave. She found her way out and looked for a carriage. She ran towards one.

"Where to, madam?" the man asked.

"Rorikstead," Ana answered. The man looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I do not take travellers anywhere but the nine holds. Buy a horse if you must," he said, turning away and ignoring everything else she said afterwards. Ana huffed angrily and went to the stables.

"What's his problem?" she mumbled to herself, "I offer to pay more than usual and he _still_ ignores me! Blasted bastard…"

"Hello! How may I help you, miss?" the stableman asked. Ana turned towards him.

"How much for a horse?" she asked.

"Hm… 1000 septims," the stableman answered. Ana sighed and handed them over, hopping on the first horse she saw.

"Hey! That one is double!" the stableman said angrily.

"Should've said so," Ana said, snapping the reigns and making the horse begin to run. She didn't have time for this. As she crossed the bridge, she noticed a caravan of some sort. She slowed the horse down next to them

"Ah, hello. How may Ri'saad assist you?" a Khajit asked as he noticed her.

"Do you sell maps?" Ana asked, "I'm new to Skyrim and I'm on my way to Rorikstead."

"New, eh? Why, yes, we do sell maps. Ten septims. Or find a camp nearby and take theirs," Ri'saad said. Ana nodded and tossed ten septims at him. He handed her a map and she left without another word.

 _"_ _I swear to the Gods if this guy cheated me and left me out here, I'm going to strangle him and steal his staff,"_ Ana thought to herself. She sighed and continued on, following the map. Hours go by as Ana becomes weary. She stopped her horse and hopped off, checking her pack. She sighed. She gave her horse half of the bread in her pack and ate the other half. She looked up at the sky, smiling. She always wondered what the Aurora Borealis looked like.

"It's gorgeous," she whispered. Suddenly, her horse whinnied. Before she could look up, a dagger pressed against her neck.

"What is? The sky? Meh, not as pretty as gold," a deep voice said behind her. Bandits. Ana was stiff, not wanting the knife the slice through her jugular if she moved.

"Smart girl. Now, let us have your horse with everything on it and your gold. Then, we'll be on our way," a woman said, stepping into her view. Ana scowled. She bit down hard on the hand holding the dagger, causing the man behind her to drop it and stumble backward. Ana quickly grabbed the knife, lunging towards the woman. Before the blade could meet flesh, Ana was met with a swift punch in the jaw, knocking her down. The knife skittered across the stone path away from her. The bandit woman grabbed it and ran towards her. Ana got up quickly, but was too late to miss the blade. It sliced across her cheek, causing a deep gash in her face. Ana let out a hiss as the pain stung. Warm liquid ran down her cheek as the wound throbbed.

Ana ran towards the woman, kicking her in the stomach. The woman fell and she dropped the knife. Ana grabbed it and plunged it into her chest four, five times before getting up and dodging a punch from the man, who had finally recovered. Ana cut into his abdomen, causing him to cry out in agony. She grabbed the axe from his side and used it to slice his throat. Panting, she watched as the two bled to death. Adrenaline raced through her veins. She dropped the weapons and raided what they hand on them. He took their arrows and one of the bows.

"Should come in handy for hunting," Ana mumbled. She took what little gold they hand and caught up with her horse that had ran off during the fight. She put everything in her pockets and hopped back on the horse. She yawned as she started heading towards Rorikstead once more. No time to rest anyways. Maybe she'll stop at an inn on the way.

.

Ana finally arrived at Rorikstead exhausted. She was on her way to the inn when a Redguard ran up to her, screaming something in her face.

"You! You're the one who took my Gleda! My sweet, precious Gleda…" he said.

"Um… Excuse me?" Ana asked.

"My prized goat! You don't remember?!" the man snapped. He huffed and crossed his arms. "I want her back now. I can't live without her!"

"Sir, I have no idea what you're screaming about. I need to rest after spending hours awake heading here. I'm trying to find a man named Sam," Ana explained, her eyes burning from exhaustion. The cut on her cheek was infected and scabbed over. The man examined her and frowned.

"Alright… I'll hire someone else to look for my Gleda—which I'm still upset about you losing her," he said, "When you stole my goat, you sold her to a giant named Grok for money to buy a ring from… a Ysolda in Whiterun? Yeah, Ysolda. There. Now rest and leave."

Ana rubbed her eyes and quietly thanked him. She tied up her horse and went inside. She sighed in relief at the warmth and smell of fresh food. She went up to the counter and asked for a room. The man at the counter cringed at the first sight of her.

"Hey. I know it looks bad, but I need some sleep or I'm going to pass out on the spot. How. Much. For. A. Room?" she asked.

"Ten—" he began, but was interrupted by the sound of golden septims slamming onto the counter. Ana went into a random room and fell onto the bed. She curled up and fell asleep, finally relaxing. The sleep, though, was short lived. Her eyes shot open as she heard two male voices—guards she recognized.

 _"_ _So they_ are _hunting me!"_ she thought. Worried, she quickly went under the bed, glad one of the patrons shut the door for her as she fell asleep. She watched as familiar elven armor walked into the room. She covered her mouth and tensed up, trying desperately not to make a sound.

 _"_ _How did they find me?!"_ Ana thought to herself. Her chest hurt from her heart pounding so much. She wanted to cry, but knew it'd blow her cover. One guard threw open the cabinets closest to the door while the other made his way to the bed.

"Men! We have reason to believe she's on her way to Whiterun!" a woman shouted—most likely one of the Thalmor wizards.

Ana gulped as quietly as she could as the men left the room. Once she knew they were out of the Inn, she let herself breathe. Tears escaped her eyes as her heart started to calm down. She thought of going back out and sleeping, but what if there was a bounty on her head? What would these people do for gold?

The man behind the counter left his spot and made his way into her room. He looked around before bending down to look at her. Her eyes were wide and her breath was jagged.

"It's safe. Damn Thalmor think they own everything—especially their own kind," he said, helping her out, "The name's Mralki. I suggest you stay here for a couple days before heading out to Whiterun if that's where you were headed."

Ana nodded, sighing in relief. She let out a soft laugh, which soon turned into a half-sob. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears, it almost deafened her. Mralki led her out to the fire and sat her down in one of the seats. Ana wiped away her tears.

"Do you need anything? I'm Mralki's son, Erik, by the way," a man next to her asked. Ana sniffled and nodded.

"How much for a meal?" she asked.

"No, this one's free," Mralki said, having a lady cook her up something. Ana relaxed into the chair and thought to herself.

 _"_ _So, they're hunting me… But there are people here who want to help me—even though I look exactly like them,"_ she thought.

She snapped out of her thought as the strong smell of meat and vegetables hit her nose. The lady handed her a bowl of stew. Ana ate it quickly, thanking her between bites. The taste was much blander than the meats at home, but it was tolerable. Her mother would have criticized it to no end. Ana smiled a little as she ate, remembering how her mom would constantly teach her the proper way to cook with random ingredients found around the garden. Her smile disappeared as she remembered what brought her here. Anger seared through her veins as she remembered the note her brother left. Damn guards burnt it up just to prove she was "guilty". The poor kid just wanted to be truly loved and felt everyone was too focused on death and war. The last line of his suicide note stated, "If everyone wants death and terror, I'll give them all a meal for their dark and morbid appetites". Ana let out a humorless chuckle. Ironic how her parents were so torn apart by his "murder", but wanted Ana's death just the same.

"Hey, hey! Slow down," Erik laughed as Ana spilled food onto her clothes. She personally didn't care if they were ruined. She'll need to find armor anyway. She swallowed and took slower bites of her food. It might've been bland, but she didn't want to scarf it down and not savor it. Oh, how the people of Skyrim would love a few more spices. Maybe she'll go up to Solitude and try out their meals when it was safe. In the meantime, Ana would stay in Rorikstead. As long as these people liked her, she'd be safe.


	3. Chapter Three

For the next few days, Ana stayed put in Rorikstead. She helped around town, earning everyone's trust. She learned of the rumors about pregnant women being killed in the name of the daedra, but an odd old man assured her that the town was safe.

Ana grabbed a bucket and walked out of the inn, the place she was staying at the moment, to fetch more water for the guests. She liked the way everyone had a sense of companionship in Skyrim. Everyone was so nice to her here instead of hunting her down. Granted, not _everyone_ was quite as nice, but she enjoyed this little town. As she dipped the bucket into the lake east of town, she contemplated buying a house after things settled over.

"Ana!" shouted someone, startling her. She accidentally dropped the bucket. She picked it up again and filled it before glaring at whoever shouted. Her glare softened as she realized it was Erik.

"Gods, Erik! Why do you have to scare me like that when I get the water?" Ana asked, struggling to hide a smile underneath her angered expression.

"Because! I have great news!" he said with a large grin, eyes bright like a child's as if he just got a new toy. Ana hauled the heavy bucket of water over to him before setting it down. With hands on her hips, she asked him what the great news was. Erik almost burst at the seams as what sounded like speeding nonsense flung itself out of his mouth. Ana laughed and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Erik—Erik! Slow down! You sound like a mad man," she said. Erik paused for a second and caught his breath.

"Ana, my father is letting me be a warrior. Just like I dreamed!" he exclaimed. Ana gasped, congratulating him. Even in the short time she knew him, she would always see him talking to Mralki about becoming a warrior. The old man was so paranoid, he continuously said no. She guessed someone finally showed him Erik was determined and old enough. Maybe with plenty training, he'll be a capable mercenary.

"Warrior, eh? How 'bout the strong guy carries the bucket for this damsel?" she asked, playfully fluttering her eyes and looking as precious as she could without breaking into laughter. Erik rolled his eyes and picked up the bucket. He bowed.

"Of course," he giggled before rising. He walked with Ana back to the inn before Ana noticed elven armor heading this way once more. Ana gasped and hurried Erik along. She quickly went to Mralki when they went inside.

"M-Mralki," she began, her voice shaking as the rest of her body followed suit, "They're back."

Mralki's eyes widened and nodded. He quickly helped her hide behind the piles of wood in the back of the inn. It was a better place than last time, anyway. Ana had wood piled upon her to keep her hidden. Despite her fear, she tried her best to remain still. She needed to toughen up. Her brows furrowed as she began hating how _weak_ she was. She heard the door open in the front. Footsteps went closer to the woodpile, but stopped suddenly. Ana peeked out through a hole between the logs. The two guards she saw before were speaking with Mralki, handing him a piece of paper.

"We have orders to stay here to watch for the prisoner. No one of Whiterun has seen her at all. We're covering all the ground we can," said the one on the left. He was the only one with his helmet off. It was odd. He had a long scar that ran from the bottom of his ear presumably to his jaw. Ana's vision wasn't helping her as tears unknowingly formed and streamed down her face.

"Listen up! You Nords have this one chance to bring us the prisoner so we can move on! If you don't and we find her later, there _will_ be consequences!" shouted the other. His voice was gruff and a lot less formal than the first.

 _"_ _He must be new,"_ Ana thought to herself, _"Thalmor never shout to get attention nowadays, they have everyone's fear focused on them—_

 _"—_ _Including mine."_

Ana gulped quietly, hoping to the Gods she would be saved. Mralki assured them no one was here. She could almost see the gears turning in his head, which were hopefully forming a plan to get her out of there. The two guards eyed him closely before accepting his lie.

"One more thing," the first guard began, "We get free housing while we stay. It's only our orders."

He had a devilish smirk upon his face as if he _enjoyed_ torturing these people. Ana scowled before making a mental note to add that to her list of reasons why she hated the Thalmor. Mralki sighed and led them to their rooms. When the doors were closed, Mralki glanced over at where she was nervously. Ana wondered what he was thinking about—and if it was good or bad.

.

Ana stretched her legs as Mralki let her out at nightfall. She brushed herself off before having metal shoved towards her. She examined what was in her arms.

"Armor. You'll need it. Take this to the smith in Whiterun—closest to the Cloud District—and he'll fix you up with the best weapon he can," Mralki said quietly. He let her change in an empty room. Ana took a deep breath before stripping and sliding on the armor. It was much heavier than the clothes she wore, but a lot lighter than she imagined. Skyrim was brutal and cold, so she had expected super heavy armor with lots of fur. She shrugged gently and slid everything else on. The armor was a bit awkward, but she could deal with it for now. Beggars can't be choosers.

Ana stepped out of the room and quietly said goodbye to the people in the inn. She nodded at Mralki as a silent "Thank you" before heading out. She found her horse near the farm and hopped on. He tucked the amulet safely into a spot on her armor so it was well hidden and always on her. She looked at the map that was still on her horse and squinted. She marked the place that said "Whiterun" and sighed.

 _"_ _That is a long way from here, but I'll have to make do…"_ she thought to herself. Her second thought brought up the fear of being captured. What if there were Thalmor waiting there, too? Wouldn't there be if they sent the two guards here? Ana gulped and froze for a few seconds.

"Ana?" a familiar—and reassuring—voice asked. Ana looked over at Erik and sighed in relief, her breath releasing tears. Erik looked worried. He asked her what had gone wrong.

"The same reason I'm here, Erik. Thalmor are hunting me," she said, "I'm heading to Whiterun like I planned to get this weird 'quest' over with."

"W-Well, I'm a warrior now! I'm coming with! Stay right here," he said before rushing to the inn to most likely wish his father goodbye. Ana bit her lip and whipped the reins. Her horse quickly began to trot. She gulped and whispered and apology before whipping once more. The horse ran out of Rorikstead, and Ana began to make her way to Whiterun. As she was almost out of sight, Erik shouted after her and began to run. Ana heard the clanking of armor as he ran closer towards her. As she was about to stop and let him catch up, Erik's scream rang through the air.

"Stop!" the scarred guard exclaimed. Ana felt dread fill her. Her body became lead and wouldn't move as she processed the situation. Erik had an arrow in the back of his leg and the two guards were racing after him. The one with his helmet on looking in Ana's direction.

"There she is!" he shouted. Scared, Ana hopped down and ran to Erik to get him out of there. Erik groaned as Ana continuously apologized.

"Nnngh… my weapon," he said through grit teeth, "Use my sword to attack."

Ana looked at the longsword at his side and remembered the dying Stormcloak soldier. Her heart throbbed in pain. She took his sword and channeled her anger into it. She remembered how easily she made Imperials fall. The Thalmor couldn't be any different could they? Of course not. They were worse. At least Imperials had some heart. She stood up and charged at the guards. The two faltered for a second, her sudden anger catching them off guard.

Ana used it to her advantage as she plunged the sword into the scarred guard's neck. Both guards' eyes went wide. The helmeted one growled and charged at her. Ana readied her stance and tried her best to dodge any attacks. She needed to find his weakness and exploit it. As she was thinking, she didn't notice the sword coming down towards her arm until the last second. She hissed as the sword cut into her forearm and the fur of her armor. Ana quickly took a chance to knock him down. She thrusted the hilt of Erik's sword hard into the guard's shin. The guard yelped, but not as loudly as she'd hoped. She rolled over to dodge his sword about to plunge itself into her back. Ana hopped up and drove all of her weight into his stomach. The guard snickered and roughly pushed her off.

Ana looked up with wide, terrified eyes as the tip of the guard's sword loomed over her. Suddenly, a large rock hit the side of the guard's head. The guard fell to the ground, groaning in agony. Ana looked over to see Erik limping his way towards him. He ripped off the guard's helmet and tossed it to the side. Ana lifted the sword and used it like an axe to decapitate the guard. She panted hard and held her wounded arm.

"Erik! What—" Mralki began before seeing the scene, "By the Gods…"

"Dad, I—"

"No, we need to get you two patched up. Ana, get your horse and helped me with the bodies. Afterwards, Erik will stay here and you'll be on your way to Whiterun," he said roughly. The two nodded, scared by his tone. Ana retrieved her horse and walked it over to Mralki. He hauled the bodies up on the horse except for the heads. He used a cloth to put pressure on Ana's wound before handing her something.

"You must've dropped this when fighting. Make sure you don't lose it, okay?" he said. Ana looked down and realized it was the amulet she was supposed to give to the blacksmith in Whiterun. She nodded and put it in a better place.

"Mralki…?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Mralki looked at her for a few moments before smiling kindly at her.

"Of course. Erik will be taken care of, but you need to head out after we get rid of these bodies. I'm sure if they don't report anything, others will come looking for them," he said. Ana nodded and helped him handle their corpses before finally making her way out of Rorikstead.

.

Ana's eyes were sore as were her limbs when she finally made it to Whiterun. It was quite the sight to see. The many farms decorated the fields around the castle-like city. She noticed a trio of drunkards singing a happy tune outside a brewery. Ana chuckled lightly as she made her way to the stables. She dismounted her horse and sighed.

"Hello, friend. What brings you to Whiterun?" asked one of the stablemen.

"Oh, um... I have to deliver something to someone. He's a smith closest to the… Cloud District?" Ana asked. The man nodded and smiled.

"That'd be the Skyforge up by Jorrvaskr. Ask for Eorlund Gray-Mane. He's the current smith there," he explained. Ana nodded and thanked him. "The name's Skulvar, by the way. I'll make sure your horse is taken care of for as long as you need."

"Thank you. First, do you know if this place has an inn?" Ana asked.

"Ah, of course. When you enter the city, there's a market just up ahead. Go straight to the building called 'The Bannered Mare' and ask for a room," he explained. Ana grinned and was on her way. She overheard the same man scolding his son. Ana relaxed her shoulders, but kept her guard up. She didn't know whether or not there were Thalmor.

 _"_ _Gods! What if they know my face?!"_ she thought to herself in worry. She took in a deep, shaking breath before walking up to the gates. The guards there looked over at her and asked her to state her business.

"I'm meeting with Eorlund Gray-Mane," she said, glad that she finally knew the guy's name. The two looked at each other and nodded. They let her in. Relief washed over her like water. She just hoped the water wouldn't dry up or try to drown her. She looked around, enjoying the new city. Next to her was a blacksmith working away on a sword. She walked straight and came up to a market. People chatted and argued in the streets. Someone tapped her shoulder. Ana jumped and spun around.

"Got a question for you," a man asked, "Gray-Mane, or Battle-Born?"

"Wh-What?" Ana asked, not knowing what he meant.

"Got stones in your ears? I asked you which side you're on. Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?" he repeated angrily.

"I-I don't—I'm not—"

"What? Are you new to town? Well, Whiterun's got two clans, both old and both respected. Difference is, the Gray-Manes turned their backs on the Empire and we Battle-Borns stayed loyal. So I'll ask again, Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?"

"Oh, um… I don't know?" she said, unsure. She didn't like either side and hated being put on the spot. The man scowled.

"Sooner or later, we all have to choose a side. Let me know when you've come to that sense," he said and walked off. Ana stood there for a few seconds in confusion before a woman shouted at her. She spun around in the other direction to see a woman with short auburn hair tucked behind her ears.

"You! You're the one that borrowed my ring!" she said with almost a gleeful face. She ran over to Ana. "Have you come to return it or pay for it?"

"Wh-What...?" Ana asked in confusion. Was this another thing she didn't remember?

"Remember? You were going on and on days ago about how in love you were with your fiancée. Of course, I have no place to judge who you marry, I just wished to know which is it you prefer?" the woman asked.

"Um… remind me of your name again, i-it's not popping up," Ana said, trying to play along so she didn't anger the woman.

"Oh! I'm Ysolda. I don't think I told you my name beforehand. Nevertheless, which is it?" she asked.

"Oh, right. Um… Actually, I came to tell you we have split up and my fiancée… erm, _ex_ -fiancée won't return the ring," she explained. She personally thought it was a bad lie, but Ysolda bought into every word. Ysolda gasped and hugged Ana tightly.

"My goodness, I'm so sorry! Have you tried talking her out of keeping it? That ring _was_ two-thousand septims," she said.

"Two-thousand?!" Ana exclaimed, shocked by the price. Ysolda nodded. Ana thought for a moment and asked her if she knew where her "fiancée" could be.

"Well, I do remember you saying something about her living in Witchmist Grove. Also that you two were to be wed in someplace called Morvunskar," Ysolda said.

"Well… I need some rest, and I have an errand to run beforehand. I'll try to get that ring back to you or I'll pay you somehow," Ana said. Ysolda smiled and nodded, leaving her be. With the random encounters presumably done for, Ana looked around and wondered where the hell she had to go. Maybe she should have asked Ysolda where the cloud district was…

She walked up the stairs to her left and looked around. To her right was a large building. The roof looked similar to a long boat. She headed towards the building, assuming this was the right way. She entered the building. A woman with fiery red hair and blue marks across her face looked up at her.

"Welcome to Jorrvaskr. Why are you here?" she asked bluntly.

"Do you know where the Skyforge is? I'm looking for Eorlund Gray-Mane," she explained. The woman looked at the men beside her and stood up.

"Why would _you_ be looking for Eorlund?" she asked.

"I have my reasons," she stammered. The woman smirked and chuckled.

"It's good not to trust everyone around here. How 'bout this? I tell you my name, you tell me yours. Then, you tell me why you're here, and I'll tell you where the Skyforge is. I've no qualms with you. You can trust none of us will harm a single blonde hair on your head," she said. Ana stared at her wide-eyed. She composed herself.

"My name is Ana," she answered.

"Aela the Huntress," the woman answered, "Your go."

"I was sent here from Rorikstead to pick up a weapon," Ana said, unsure if she made the right choice. Aela nodded.

"Could'a just said so. Exit from the back, take a left, and head up. He should be there. The old man's got a knack for working late in the hours," Aela told her. Ana thanked her and crossed the room. She took note of how menacing it looked to the unfamiliar eye. Weapons and armor were presented on racks and stands like prizes. The food reminded her of the kind of food you would get when you were poorer on a holiday. It reminded her of home so much, she quickly exited into the colder air to keep them from seeing her cry—again. Ana scolded herself. She needed to toughen up and hide her tears more or else someone would use it against her. She sighed and followed Aela's directions. She made her way towards the top of the Skyforge. She gasped as she saw the large forge with its hellish colors beaming brighter than a child's smile. An old man was hard at work before he looked up and noticed her.

"You a new member of the companions?" he asked. His voice was gruff and low. Ana shook her head and took out the amulet. As she handed it to him, his eyes widened.

"Ah… So, Mralki sent you here, eh? For what reason? Is all well with him?" he asked.

"Yes, it's just… I'm in a tight situation and he decided to help out. He told me to give this amulet to you so you could make me the best weapon possible," she told him. Eorlund nodded and thought for a moment. He slid the amulet in a pocket of his and looked up at her.

"Smithing takes time. I'll need at least a day," he explained.

"Of course. It'll be nice to rest for awhile," Ana said with a small smile. Eorlund tossed her a dozen septims in a bag.

"This'll pay for a night at the Bannered Mare. Anything for a friend of Mralki," he said before dismissing her. Ana walked away from the forge and Jorrvaskr. It wasn't until then did she feel how tired her body was. Her legs dragged on and her wounds stung. She let her arms dangle a bit despite the heavy armor's weight. She couldn't wait to buy a new set of actual clothing to rest in sometime. She walked into the Bannered Mare. Her tired eyes scanned the room. It was warm and friendly with the sounds of Skyrim legends being sung by the bard just ahead. Ana enjoyed the warmth of the fire on her arms. She went to the bar and asked for a room and a meal. The woman there nodded and smiled, serving her after Ana handed over the golden coins.

Ana thought to herself as she ate. Foods in the main cities were definitely better in taste. The meat she chewed was warm and relaxing. She began to wonder what was going on back at home. Did her family miss her? Did they care? How was Enorra, the middle child, doing with her studies in magic? She was always a late bloomer, but seemed to have the determination of a Nord. Ana wondered if Enorra would like Skyrim. Hopefully, her parents hadn't brainwashed her into believing their sick, twisted lies.

"Hey there, friend," a man said after the music stopped. He set his instrument down next to him. "You look worn out."

"Is it _that_ obvious?" Ana asked sarcastically. She smiled. "You sounded good. With your music, I mean."

"Wow, really? Thanks. The name's Mikael. You?"

"Ana," Ana answered with a mouthful of food. She swallowed and repeated herself, apologizing for her poor manners. Mikael laughed loudly.

"Manners? In Skyrim? Nords rarely have manners, but when they do it's in our own weird way, y'know?" Mikael asked. Ana chuckled and shook her head. She finished up her food and thanked the old woman behind the bar for the meal.

"Excuse me, Mikael, but I really need some rest. It's been a long day," she said, holding out the 'o' in 'long'.

"Of course. I'll play something soothing to help you sleep," Mikael said as he picked up his lute. He began to play once Ana made it upstairs to her room. She changed out of her armor and into the clothes in the dresser next to her bed. Once she lied down, her whole body sunk down into the bed, taking her with it as she quickly fell into a blissful sleep.


	4. Chapter Four

Ana woke to the sound of laughter downstairs. She stretched and hopped out of bed. Her body felt even sorer than ever, but at least she was well rested. She changed back into her heavy armor and groaned as the weight of it sat on her shoulders heavily. She promised to herself she'd buy—or make—some new armor for herself that was lighter but still had protection.

Ana made her way downstairs, seeing a few people here and there. She walked over to the bar and asked if there was a shop for ailments.

"Hm? You sick?" the woman asked.

"Oh, no. I have a nasty cut on my arm right here," she said pointing to her arm, "And the scar on my face is healing, but not as well as I'd hoped."

The woman examined her face and noticed the attempted stitches on her face. She recoiled when looking at Ana's arm. It was bloodied through the cloth and specks of greenish-yellow stuck to the cloth.

"Go see Arcadia in her shop. It's just to the left when you walk out. She's got some potions for your wounds," she said. Ana quickly headed out without another word. She turned to her left to the shop called:

 _Arcadia's Cauldron_

Ana walked in noticing shelves filled to the brim with potions. A woman with ash-like hair looked up from her work. She smiled and went to the counter.

"I offer remedies for ailments both common and rare. Do let me know if I can be of service," she called out. She looked closely at Ana. "Hmm… could you have Ataxia? It was a problem back in Cyro—"

"No, I don't. I'm from Cyrodiil, and I assure you, I'm all right. Well, except for these," Ana said, pointing to her wounds. Arcadia winced and looked for something under the counter. She pulled out proper bandages, a couple potions, and a dark cream in a jar.

"Bandages, health potions, and a cream to rub on those wounds to heal you right up," Arcadia said.

"How much for all of this?" Ana asked, hoping it wouldn't be too much.

"Hm… two hundred septims," Arcadia said. Ana checked her satchel and counted the rest of her coin. She sighed in relief as she had enough. She handed Arcadia the two hundred she needed and went to grab her things.

"Wait! Let me help you," she said, stopping her. Arcadia pulled off the disgusting cloth and led Ana to the room a few feet away. Arcadia washed her wounds up and poured a bit of the potions on them. Ana's eyes widened as they healed fairly well in a matter of seconds. Arcadia applied the ointment and wrapped the bandages around her arm.

"Keep your bandages on for awhile then repeat the process I did. Whoever stitched up your face caused the cut to heal improperly. It'll scar by now," Arcadia explained.

"That's fine," Ana told her. She felt thankful how kind everyone was, but was skeptical. Besides the random man in the streets, no one had treated her horribly.

" _Maybe that Sam guy did by pulling this elaborate stunt on me,"_ she thought, frowning. She remembered the reason she had been travelling throughout Skyrim. She had to find him. Maybe she'd start at Morvunskar? Witchmist Grove didn't sound too nice since her "fiancée" lived there. Ana cringed lightly that she'd let herself get that drunk. She stood up and thanked Arcadia before taking her things and leaving. She fit the ointment and potions into her small satchel, but held onto the bandages. A bag would be nice to have so she could hold all of her things at once. She looked over to her left and read a sign saying:

 _Belethor's General Goods_

Ana walked in and a man with mutton-chopped facial hair grinned at her. He waved her over, spouting some nonsense about buying off her relatives. Ana walked up to the counter.

"Do you sell any knapsacks?" she asked. The man, whom she believed to be Belethor, the owner, left for a second before returning from the back room with a knapsack in his arms. He set it down in the counter.

"Seventy septims," he said. Ana bit her lip as she checked her satchel. It would leave her with ten septims, but it'd be worth it in the long run. She paid for the sack and put her things inside. She exited the shop and decided to head back to the Skyforge. Might as well see how Eorlund was doing. Before she could make it, one of the men Aela was with stopped her.

"Hey, you're that High Elf from yesterday. You know, a few of your kind came by looking for someone who looked like you," he said, stepping into her bubble. Ana gulped and tried to step back before he grabbed ahold of her. "So, what'd you do, eh? Why've you got the Thalmor on your hide?"

Ana opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat and stood up as straight as she could. She needed to be strong. Her weakness was left back in Cyrodiil from now on.

"I was framed by the Thalmor for supposedly committing a crime," she said in her bravest voice.

"And what was that crime?"

"Murder. Although it was obvious suicide," she said bluntly. The man examined her. He chuckled almost humorlessly.

"Kodlak would like you. You act tougher than you are," he said, letting her go, "My opinion? You won't last a day the way you are right now."

He laughed at that as he walked off. Ana furrowed her brows, but knew he was right. She wasn't rich back at home, but was wealthy enough to not do anything. In Skyrim, that would change. She would find that bastard, Sam, and get the staff before training. It dawned on her that there may not even be a staff. Either way, she wanted to give the man a piece of her mind.

"Hey, you're back," Eorlund said as Ana finally made up to the top. "Been working on this beautiful blade for you all night. Just now got back to sharpen it."

Ana looked at the blade. It was gorgeous. The metal was dark and the edges were jagged, causing the sword to give off a menacing feeling. She grinned at the blade. Eorlund smiled after seeing this.

"Glad you like it. Just give me a couple minutes and it'll be sharper than a Hagraven's claws," he said. Confused by what a Hagraven was, Ana made a point to never meet one if their claws were that sharp. Once he was finished, he handed Ana her new blade. Ana admired it, amazed by the fine work done.

"Wow. This… This is amazing," she said breathlessly. Eorlund nodded and handed her its sheath. It was black with an odd medallion on the front. A silver line going around the sides met it in the middle. The medallion itself was silver as well, but had the symbol of an eagle etched into it. It reminded her of the Altmer symbol back at home. She slid the sword back into its sheath and put it on her belt.

"Best weapon I could make. Just for you. Where you heading after this?" Eorlund asked.

"I might stay awhile. To train and rest," Ana answered, "Then, I'm heading to Morvunskar."

"What? Why there? That place is full of mages if I remember correctly," he told her.

"I'm looking for someone there. And thanks for the tip. I'll prepare myself for any spells they throw at me," Ana said.

"Learn how to sneak. That'll help greatly. The way you are now, you'll make the loudest noises you can," Eorlund told her.

"Good point," Ana thanked, "Well, know where I can prepare myself for battle?"

"No place other than Jorrvaskr right there. The Companions will help you. Just say I sent you to Kodlak Whitemane. They have no leader they say, but I believe they all look up to that man more than anything," Eorlund explained.

"Will do. And, again… thank you, Eorlund," Ana said with a smile. Eorlund smiled back and gave her a single nod. Ana turned on her heel and walked down towards Jorrvaskr. She entered the building and was greeted by Aela.

"Back again? What for?" she asked.

"Eorlund sent me down here. I'd like to train before I head out of Whiterun," Ana explained, "I have to go to Morvunskar. He told me to talk to a Kodlak Whitemane?"

"Kodlak's downstairs. I'll take you to him," a man next Aela said, "I'm Farkas, by the way. My brother Vilkas is right over there."

He pointed across the room to the same guy who had stopped Ana earlier. Ana nodded and followed Farkas downstairs to a more homey area for those who stayed at Jorrvaskr. Farkas led her down the hall to the last room ahead of them. An old man sat at a table at the end, his snow-white hair almost shining in the light.

"Kodlak. Someone's here to speak with you," Farkas said. Kodlak looked over and examined her. He waved her over and gestured for her to sit next to him. Ana did as she was asked.

"What's your name?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

"My name is Ana," Ana answered. She hoped he would help her train- or at least allow her to stay for a while to train. Kodlak stared at her for a few moments before standing up.

"Why do you want to train?" he asked.

"I wish to be prepared for anything here in Skyrim," she explained, "I want to be aware of the dangers and protect myself."

"Who sent you here?"

"Eorlund. He told me you were a very respectable man," Ana answered. Kodlak nodded, thinking something over. He took her hand and shook it.

"Show your comrades respect and no killing. You may stay here as long as you need," he said, "Now, I think it's about time I visit my friend up at the Skyforge."

As he walked off, Farkas gave her a hard pat on the back, knocking her forward a bit. He grinned at her.

"Welcome to the family. I'll see you outside when you're ready," he said, heading back upstairs. Ana felt joy surge through her. She was led to the barracks and where she would sleep by some of the newer Companions. Ana set her pack under her bed and made sure everything was situated for her stay. She headed upstairs quickly to begin her training.

.

Ana hated training. Her body was sore everywhere- including in places she never knew could be sore. She groaned as she got up once more. Vilkas laughed loudly as she wiped blood off her nose. Ana glared at him lightly before getting into battle stance again.

"Now, now. Let's take a break. You'll hurt yourself if you keep it up," he said, sheathing his blade. Ana reluctantly sheathed hers.

"How in Oblivion did you get this strong?" she asked, rolling her shoulder a bit.

"Lots and lots of training," Vilkas answered, "It'll take some time before you can beat me. After that, try to beat Aela."

"Can _you_ beat Aela?" Ana asked, laughing.

"Shh, shh. We aren't talking about me," Vilkas joked. The two laughed as they went back into Jorrvaskr. She had grown to love Skyrim and the Companions. She highly respected everyone there. Her only fear was the Thalmor, but with every passing day, she would overcome it as she grew stronger. Just a few more weeks, maybe months. Either way, she'd overcome everything and she would help take down such a tyrannical dominion.

But, first, she had to find Sam in Morvunskar.


	5. Chapter Five

"Damnit!" Ana shouted as she tripped. She growled and stood up, wiping snow off of her much lighter- and much more comfortable- armor. All those months training and she can't even see a log in her way?

Despite this, Ana continued onward. She was finally in the Eastmarch Hold and was getting closer to Morvunskar. She shivered as she continued onward. The one thing she liked about Cyrodiil besides the food was the warmth. She gasped and hid behind a tree as a castle-like fort came into view. She crouched down, fine-tuning her plan.

"Alright, Ana. You go in and try staying out of eye-sight. Hit high up targets in the eye- this will take careful aim,of course, but this is what you trained for. Get inside and stealthily find Sam.

"He's probably still in there anyways. If not, you're at a loss," Ana said as she realized the possibility he wouldn't be there, "Either way, what else do you have to do? Besides head to Windhelm to talk to that bastard Ulfric… You can do this."

With the pep-talk over, she took in a deep breath. It wasn't until then did she realize how hard her heart was pounding. She could get herself killed here. Fighting with steel was one thing, but avoiding magic was another.

" _Maybe I should get back to practicing magic like I used to back in school?"_ Ana thought to herself. She smiled lightly as she began to remember her siblings trying out wards their first day. Enorra was so excited when she could cast her first spell. On her sixteenth birthday, she told Ana she would challenge her to a magic duel when she was older. Hopefully, they'd see each other agan at least once in their lives.

Upon hearing a loud shout, Ana snapped back into reality. She looked up at the fort and instinctively readied her bow. She eyed the terrain before cautiously moving forward. She stopped behind another tree as soon as the shouting continued. Her heart pumped wildly. She gulped and tried to calm herself down, not wanting to blow her cover. When she listened closely, it was two of the mages arguing about something. She took the chance and rolled in. She stuck against the wall, looking around before making her way to what looked like the main door. She slipped inside, cringing at the loud creaks the door made. She looked around. It was pure darkness aside from some light in a nearby room. She could hear voices as she passed by.

"They drink all day and night, and what do I do?" a male voice asked.

"You work the forge…" a woman sighed.

"I work the forge. Why do they need me to do this? We use magic, not weapons. I swear, they're making me do this for a laugh," the male said, pausing for a moment, "At least they're not making me deal with the prisoners down below."

"Yeah, I don't know how I feel about what goes on down there," the female said.

"I bet Naris gets a kick out of it. Nasty fella he is," the male said. Ana wondered to herself who Naris was.

"You'd better quiet down before you end up there. Then I'd have to work the forge," the female said finally. After that, their chat ended. Ana shook her head and continued on. Before she knew it, she stepped on rune, setting it off. She flew back all the way across the room and slammed hard into the wall.

" _Forgot about those…"_ Ana thought to herself as she groaned in agony.

"What was that?!" the female voice asked. Ana quickly got up, ignoring the throbbing in her head. She crouched and quickly snuck to a dark corner. The two mages came out, looking around as sparks and flames burrowed in their palms. Ana took out her bow and aimed at the man. As he slowed down to look around, she fired an arrow at his head, hitting him right in his left eye. Ana covered her mouth to muffle the laugh wanting to escape her throat. She couldn't believe she hit him perfectly.

"What the hell?! Venaar!" the female shouted, going to her dying friend. She looked around angrily. "Who's there?!"

Ana took careful aim once more. She was about to fire when a spark came at her. Ana rolled out. The female mage grinned, the sparks illuminating her target. She abandoned her now dead friend and carefully went towards Ana.

"Come out, fool. You'll die anyway," she said, sparks eagerly awaiting release. Ana stayed calm and quiet. Her breath was slow and shallow as she readied her bow again. She fired into the woman's shoulder, causing her to yelp. The woman sent out a ball of flames towards her. Ana got up and dodged it just in time. She readied her bow and shot at a random spot on the woman's body. She dodged quickly, laughing at Ana.

"You don't stand a chance against me, weakling," she said as she shot more sparks at Ana's feet. Ana fell to the ground as she tried to get away. She felt shocks going up and down her body, causing her to panic. The woman walked to her, stomping on her stomach.

"What are you..? A high elf? Ha!" she laughed, "Ah, the irony."

Ana glared at her, reaching for her sword. The mage kicked her in the face, sparks vigorously spurting out from her hand. Ana groaned in pain.

" _Remember, Ana… Remember_ one _spell,"_ she thought to herself. She rummaged through the four years of magic schooling she was taught after her thirteenth birthday. She was once the best, how could she have forgotten all this time?

The woman gave her another swift kick to the head and one in the ribs. Ana coughed and struggled to breath in for a few moments. She managed to grab hold of the woman's ankle and pull her down. Ana continued to go through the spells she remembered, but all of them were useless in this situation. She got up and unsheathed her sword, deflecting any sparks the woman threw at her. Ana gasped and dodged a large fireball. It sent some of the wooden pillars up in flames. Ana growled. If only she hadn't stepped in that rune…

" _Runes!"_ Ana thought victoriously. She grinned and cast one based on the first thing she could remember- frost. Many boys called her cold-hearted in her classes because she was the best of the best at frost magic (and wound undeniably reject any romantic advances from all of them). The woman noticed this, however, and carefully avoided it. Ana quickly cast another, leaping over the first one she cast and stepping into the forge room. The woman glared at her and kept her distance. She sent out another set of sparks and a fireball. Ana slammed into the wall in an attempt to dodge them. Ana grabbed the piece of metal sitting halfway into the forge and threw it at the woman. She screamed loudly as the hot end scalded her face. Ana took this advantage and ran at her, avoiding any runes on the ground. She thrusted her sword into the woman's abdomen. The woman froze and became still. Her wide eyes looked down at the sword. As she coughed up blood, Ana took her sword out of the woman's body. She flicked some of the blood off before sheathing the weapon. Ana looked over to her right and frowned.

"Look what you've done," she said, picking up the pieces of her now broken bow, "You broke my bow. A friend made this especially for me."

Ana stood up and walked calmly over to the forge, throwing the piece into the fire. She spotted another bow hanging up on an armory. She took it and slung it over her arrow pack.

"This'll have to do," Ana said to herself. She walked back over to the woman, who was holding her stomach tightly. She grabbed ahold of the woman's head and violently snapped her neck. The woman's body fell like a ragdoll after its owner was done playing with it. Ana carefully walked around the runes she placed and continued onward. She crouched down and made her way through Morvunskar. She walked into a room with about four or five mages inside. Up a flight of stairs was a portal. What were these mages doing? Apparently, they didn't know what it was either as she overheard a conversation nearby.

"Do you think Naris set it up?" a man asked.

"Don't know, but it's freaking me out a bit. One day, our alchemy table is there, the next, the portal is blocking it!" another said.

"Whatever it it, I'm staying away from it. I don't care _what_ it is," the first said. Ana took a deep breath before conjuring up a spell she had remembered from before. She looked around, waiting for the right moment to put out the torches around the room. She edged closer to the stairs.

"Mencar, do you have the berries I asked you for?" a mage asked at the top of the stairs.

"Of course I don't," replied Mencar, "We haven't been out of here for days because Naris says so. How am I supposed to get your berries if we can't leave this blasted place?!"

"Calm down, calm down… No need to get snappy. I was just asking," the first voice said, "Besides, Naris will be his own demise someday. It won't be long until he's dead."

"That's what you said last time," Mencar groaned, his deep voice resonating within the stone room, "I don't see why we need to wait for him to die. There's plenty of us to overpower him."

"Patience, Mencar. We'll need time to plan."

"But I've got plans! If you'll only listen t-"

"Hush, Mencar. Just worry about my berries like I am right now. If he hears you, we'll all be killed in our sleep," the first voice snapped. Ana was carefully making her way closer to the top closest to the portal. She was halfway up when a mage ran in panicked.

"Venaar and Vena are dead!" the mage exclaimed, "There must be an intruder!"

Ana gulped as she recognized the first name. Vena must be the name of the female mage she had killed. Everyone gasped and whispered amongst each other. The mage next to Mencar spoke up, but kept his voice low.

"How do we know it wasn't Naris?" he asked slowly, the name drawing fear from everyone around him- including Ana. Even if she didn't know who the man was, everyone else's reactions to him must have meant he was a horrible character.

"There is an arrow in Venaar's head and Vena's stomach was split open by a sword. It was a horrible sight to see…" the mage said, truly mourning his friend. Ana felt a twinge of guilt as they all took a moment of silence for their fallen mages. She continued to make her way closer to the portal, a gut feeling telling her to step inside. She readied the blackout spell just as she could feel the coolness of the opening breeze against her. She found it a bit odd that the portal had such an allure to only her, but scared off the rest of the mages. Could Sam be in the realm the portal lead to?

"Also," the mage at the doorway spoke up, "One of our pillars is burnt, and I almost blew myself back up the stairs by stepping on someone's frost rune. Mencar. You're the only one who has perfected the art of frost out of all of us. Did you put those there?"

"No, I haven't left this room in hours. This idiot next to me keeps whining about his berries everytime I come back anyway," Mencar answered.

"The intruder must be skilled in magic then…" one mage said, "But why would they use weapons when they have the arcane arts?"

"Because, Captain Obvious, it would held them in all forms of fighting," the mage next to Mencar said.

"Why are they here, anyways? They haven't killed us. If they weren't caught, maybe Venaar and Vena would still be alive," Mencar said.

"What if they're here to kill Naris?" another mage asked, silencing the whole room with her question. They all stared at her for a few moments.

"If we let him die, we'd all be free," Mencar said.

"But, if they die and we let them get to him, he'll kill us all-" the mage next to him began.

"-In our sleep," Mencar and the mage finished in unison. Everyone was very quiet. Ana stopped stalling and continued her mission. With a swift wave of her hand, the lights went out. Everyone in the room let out a word of not only surprise, but fear.

"Has he come back for us?!" a mage asked.

"Is the intruder even alive?!"

As they all scuttered about, desperately trying to cast Candlelight in the midst of their anxiety, Ana slipped into the portal. She heard the portal behind her close. She looked around, noticing a beautiful woodland area. The smell of pine wafted to her nostrils along with the smell of… meat?

Ana stood up, stretching her legs out. She admired the many colors in plantlife as she walked along a golden-like dirt path. She eventually came upon a table of people having a lot of laughs and feasting together. Ana spotted Sam in the midst just as he spotted her. He grinned widely and sprung up from his seat.

"It's about time you got here! Everyone, this is Ana!" Sam announced, "Oops! My bad. You told me Marianne back in Windhelm.~"

Ana's eyes were wide. Who really was this guy? How'd he know her name? Sam laughed heartily before walking over to her.

"I've been wondering how long it'd take you to get here. Sorry for the trouble, really. I do adore causing _mischief_. I like your choice of weaponry. Ebony is a great material," Sam said, "Now, come! Have dinner with us."

Ana stood there, processing everything for a few seconds. She tried to figure out what else to say until she remembered his promise.

"Hey, wait. First, where's the staff? Also, where am I? And… how'd you know my name? Or what my sword is made of?" Ana asked.

"In due time, my friend. I'll answer all your questions after we eat," he answered with a sly smirk. Ana hesitantly followed, not knowing where she could end up _this_ time. One thing she knew was to refuse any alcohol. As she sat down, Sam rose a glass.

"A toast! To the champion of Morvunskar!" he cheered. Everyone followed suit and rose their glass. Ana picked up her cup and rose it before setting it down as everyone else gulped their drinks. Same finally sat down and had food sent her way. Ana's mouth immediately watered as the smell of roasted goat leg and potatoes invaded her nose. She smiled and dug in as it was set in front of her. Sam smiled, glad his guest was enjoying herself.

"So, Ana. What was it that took you so long to get here?" Sanguine asked. Ana looked up and swallowed her food. "And please, include everything. I enjoy details.~"

"I can see that," Ana said, referring to the food and the intricate journey that brought her here. Sam laughed and let her continue.

"Well, I started off in Markarth. When I woke up, this priestess yelled at me before sending me off to some guy in Rorikstead. I took refuge there for a couple days because Thalmor guards were looking for me. Before I was ready to leave, more guards came along and… I defended myself," Ana said.

"You mean killed them? It's alright. Very understandable," Sam said, gesturing for her to continue. Everyone else at the table were all ears as they listening to her with great interest. Ana continued to tell her story.

"Then, I trained with the Companions in Whiterun for months before coming here. I was worried Sam was gone. To be honest, I really wanted to strangle you," Ana explained, laughing. Everyone else joined in her laughter. Sam was grinning. He sighed happily and stood up.

"Well, as I bring the festivities to a close, I have somethings I owe you. Answers and my staff," he said, a dark mist starting at the bottom of his feet. Ana began to feel uncomfortable, not knowing what was going on. "Alright, hm… first, you are in my Mystic Grove. It is one pocket realm out of many I have created, each different for each person. I like to see my guests enjoy themselves instead of wallowing in agony."

The mist rose to his legs, showing sharp, reddish-black armor that looked similar to ebony but… glowing.

"And, second, how do I know the material of your sword? Easy. Ebony is easily spotted even within its nest as long as you have a keen eye," Sam said. The mist continued to rise. It went to his chest, revealing more intimidating armor. Ana began to feel dread grip her stomach.

"Ah, no need to worry, I don't want to hurt ya. You're a friend of mine, therefore, you're safe. Now, the third question, right? The staff is with me. It always has been!~" Sam exclaimed with a grin. He spun the staff out from behind his back, conjuring it up from who knows where. "And lastly, how did I know your name was Ana instead of Marianne? Simple. I took a peek into your mind. I guess it isn't really fair seeing how we both lied about who we are."

The mist disappeared as it revealed the rest of him. His face was red, black, and spiked. Despite the very scary appearance, his goofy grin gave him a mysterious and fun look. He motioned for Ana to come over. She did, slightly afraid of what he'd do to her. "Sam" sighed, assuring her that she would be alright.

"Anyways, my _real_ name is Sanguine. I am the Daedric Prince of Mischief. Obviously,~" he said, winking at her, "I believe I owe you this."

He handed over his staff. It was in the shape of a rose with two large thorns on the sides, curving around the main piece. Ana eyed it, adoring the beauty and detail. Sanguine smiled.

"Since you want to tap back into your magical roots, I believe having this around will be sure to help you out. It summons one of my dremora to come fight for you. They won't die at all, they'll just burst into flames and be sent back here to heal up before returning to your side," Sanguine explained. Ana looked up at him with surprise.

"Wow, thank you. Are you sure you don't want anything in return?" she asked.

"Nah. I had my fun and you were able to amuse me- as rude as that sounds," Sanguine joked.

"This is amazing, I thought-"

"You thought all daedra were horrible beings who only want to consume the world?" Sanguine asked, interrupting her. He shrugged. "Meh, sometimes. Gotta give credit to Dagon for instilling fear into the hearts of Tamriel, am I right?"

Ana laughed as he made some sort of sideways 'L' shape with both hands and pointed at her. She smiled, feeling a lot less threatened than before.

"Alright, alright. I gotta let you go. You ever wanna hang out, just look for me in a tavern," Sanguine said. Ana nodded.

"Will do. Maybe I'll find you in Whiterun sometime," Ana said with a smile.

"Of course! Ah, the Bannered Mare. I love messing around with the folks there. Anyway, see ya!" Sanguine exclaimed as he waved her out of the Mystic Grove. Ana looked around and noticed she was a few yards away from Morvunskar. She looked down at the staff in her hands, smiling. She slid it into a nice place on her pack so it wouldn't drag or fall before consulting her map for where to go next. She marked Windhelm, deciding to tell Ulfric Stormcloak how she was still undecided (and most likely will never decide) on which part of their dumb war she would be on. She put her map away and began her way towards Windhelm.


	6. Chapter Six

Ana noticed that Windhelm was different when she entered the frozen city. It was brighter and full of life as people bustled through the streets holding things like foods or silverware. It looked like they were all setting up for a festival. Ana wondered what day it was. The festivities reminded her of Harvest's End at home where her family would be able to make and eat the finest of foods. She stopped in her tracks as she realized how much time had passed since she escaped Cyrodiil. Her fear and surprise set in just as a woman tried getting her attention.

"Hey! Give me a hand!" she shouted, snapping Ana back into reality. Ana quickly helped her out, taking some bowls to carry so the ones higher up wouldn't fall. The woman sighed heavily in relief and thanked her.

"It's no problem. Um, if you wouldn't mind telling me- what's today?" Ana asked.

"The seventh of Last Seed. Harvest's End," the woman replied, conforming her thoughts. It had been exactly seven months since Ana had left Cyrodiil. She was meant to be publicly executed on the seventh of Morning Star. She gulped and shook her head to shake away the thoughts.

"Thank you. I couldn't remember exactly what date it was," Ana said.

"Mhm," the woman replied. After a few moments, Ana could hear her grumbling about the fact an _elf_ was helping her out. Ana sighed, knowing she'd find racists somewhere in Skyrim. She just hoped there weren't as many towards mer as there was men in Cyrodiil.

The two continued on towards the palace-like structure to which Ana learned the name of- Palace of Kings. It was fitting for the Stormcloaks and their ideals, but definitely not for the man running the rebellion. They entered the building and it was warm and lively. Ulfric was laughing with what Ana guessed were some of the nobles in Windhelm. He glanced over at her and stopped for a few moments. He called her over as soon as he realized who she was. Ana finished helping with the bowls before walking over to him.

"There she is! What was your name again?" Ulfric asked.

"Ana," Ana replied.

"You see, Galmar? Told you she'd be back," he said with a righteous grin. He looked back over towards Ana instead of the buff man in a bear hat. "So? Have you chosen a side?"

"No," she said, "I'm remaining neutral. I'm not fighting a war that I have no business in."

Ulfric's grin faded quickly into a nasty scowl. Ana felt her stomach tighten only for a second. She wasn't going to please this idiot- even if it meant being cast out by the man.

"Of course! You elves and your _politics_! You would rather take our land than meddle in 'puny Nordic affairs', right? Right?!" he shouted, starling everyone with his sudden change of disposition. Galmar reached out to Ulfric to calm him down, but Ulfric slapped his hand away. It seemed even _he_ was shocked by this outburst. Ana backed away, preparing herself for a fight. Ulfric noticed as she took a defensive stance.

"Oh, _now_ you wish to battle?" he asked. Galmar grabbed onto his shoulder.

"Leave her be. We have a festival to celebrate, remember?" he whispered harshly into his ear. Ulfric sighed in anger and ordered his guards to throw her out of his palace. Ana grunted as her rear end hit the cold stone hard. She hissed in pain and watched the doors close on her. Her surroundings became dark as the light from inside disappeared. Ana huffed as she stood up, brushing herself off. She stormed off, not knowing what else to do. She did a check on everything she had while walking around, exploring the frozen city. It was very quiet considering almost everyone was in the Palace of Kings. She made her way down a sort of alleyway and onto a bridge. As she walked closer to the other side, a Dunmer woman was urging a young Nord to stay away from the house behind them.

"Then it's true, what everyone is saying? That Aventus Aretino is doing the Black Sacrament? Trying to summon the Dark Brotherhood?" asked the boy.

"Oh, Grimvar... always with the nonsense. No, no, of course not. Those are just tales..." the Dunmer woman said to him, crossing her arms.

"Fine. Then I'll invite him out to play. He lives right there. I'm going to knock on his door..." Grimvar said, walking towards the door leading into the house.

"No, child! Wait! That boy, that house - they're cursed," the woman said worriedly. She pulled him away from the door. Grimvar grinned devilishly.

"Ha! Then I'm right. I knew it. He's trying to have somebody killed!" he exclaimed, causing the woman to clench her teeth together as if she were afraid someone were listening in on their conversation.

"All right. I won't deny it, child. What you heard is true. But Aventus Aretino walks a dark path. His actions can lead only to ruin. Now, enough. We will speak no more of this. I am the only friend you need," she said, promptly ending the conversation. As she pulled Grimvar away, her eyes landed on the passerby, unaware she had been listening in on their conversation. Once Ana was sure they were gone, she turned back around and went to the door, trying the knob. She frowned.

" _Locked…"_ she thought in annoyance. She wondered how the house could be haunted at all. She had heard whispers about the Dark Brotherhood, but not enough to know the threat they held over others. She wondered to herself if the Dark Brotherhood had anything to do with her sibling. She shuddered at the mere thought of someone hating her siblings enough to call for an assassin.

"Ugh, enough," she mumbled to herself, shaking dark thoughts like those out of the way. She knelt down and examined the door's lock. She pulled out her sword, attempting to use it as a lockpick. She groaned as, obviously, it was too big for the lock. She sheathed her sword and thought to herself. She wondered if there was anywhere here that sold lockpicks.

"Or anyone who would sell to me after I was thrown out of the Jarl's palace."

Ana sighed and stood up. Did she even have any money to buy them? She checked her satchel and counted how many septims she still had. She cringed, realizing how much she had spent.

"Only three-hundred left…" she whispered softly. She needed to make it last. She stood up and took a deep breath, giving up on breaking-and-entering into a "haunted house". She walked back to the main area of the now desolate city of Windhelm. She felt a gnawing feeling in her stomach as she wondered how people would react to her after Ulfric threw her out.

" _It would be best to leave now before anyone leaves the palace."_

With that in her mind, Ana quickly left. She looked at her map. She shivered as the cold bit harder the longer she stayed outside. She knew closer to the border it was much warmer. She bit her lip, knowing Riften would be perfect, but it was too dangerous. Nonetheless, she could find somewhere to hide. She huffed and put her map away. She was left with no choice but to head south. She looked over at the horse she had taken with her. She noticed the stableman tending to the horses.

"You aren't at the palace?" Ana asked him. He looked up and shook his head.

"Someone's got to tend to the horses. That's a fine one you have there," he said. Ana thanked him, taking her pack off the horse and slinging it over her shoulder. She had realized she wouldn't be able to feed herself and the horse with the money she had left. It was better to put this one in someone else's care.

"Would you like to buy him? I'm low on money and can't afford for the both of us," she said. The stableman nodded.

"How much for him?"

"I got him for one thousand septims. Does that work?" Ana asked.

"Hm… You're a traveler, right? That's gotta be expensive, especially with a horse. But, of course I can't just take the horse for the original price since he's he's already been rode on," the stableman began. Ana frowned, part of her expecting a negotiation. "How about eight-hundred? It seems fair since the horse looks healthy enough to sell."

Ana thought to herself for a few moments. It was definitely a lot less than the original price, but it would at least be enough for a year if she was careful. She felt the irony of the situation. With her being a past noble, dishonored and disowned by her family, she now had to be "cheap" to survive. Ana shook away the thoughts of living poorly. Beggars can't be choosers, and if she wanted to live- she had to adapt.

"You know what? Sure," Ana said, handing the reins over. The horse trotted over to the stableman as he tugged lightly on them. He handed over the eight-hundred and wished her well. Ana prepared her legs for a long, long walk to Riften.

.

Ana walked through the forests in the Rift, heading towards a town called "Ivarstead". Her legs were aching, but at least she felt warmer compared to biting weather in Eastmarch. The clinking of her satchel and her pack was rhythmic with each step she took. That is, until she felt nothing under one if her feet. Before she could tell out in surprise, Ana began falling. She felt her left leg go cold before shooting white-hot pain throughout it. Her pack hit an already broken and rotting tree, knocking it over. It stopped as it hit a pile of rocks. Ana groaned as she tried to get up. Pain continued to throb throughout her leg. Ana sat up, letting out a whimper. She noticed her ankle was twisted the opposite way it should have been. Her eyes widened, a scream stuck in her throat.

Her train of thought was broken. She was snapped back into reality as she heard something nearby. She looked up to see the rocks slowly shifting downward, the tree rolling off. Ana scrambled backward, not making it very far because of the pain. The tree eventually rolled down, crashing down onto her bad leg. The scream that had trapped itself escaped, piercing the silence. Frightened birds flew away as other animals scattered. Ana quickly covered her mouth as she began to sob in agony. She lied back, taking deep breaths. In this state, how could she get to Riften? Or more importantly…

 _How could she escape the Thalmor after her?_


	7. Chapter Seven

Ana took in a deep and painful breath. Her eyes opened hesitantly, the sunlight glaring down at her face. She looked around hopelessly. She had been stuck underneath the log for days. Her voice had grown hoarse from calling out for help yesterday. She whimpered as she reached for her pack. She looked inside, disappointed to find nothing left. Ana sighed and slammed her pack down as her stomach responded with a growl. Her tongue felt like sand with how little she had gotten to drink. It was a mistake to chug what was left in a sad attempt to heal up her throat. She propped herself up to check her ankle. It was infected and healing horribly. Cringing, she lifted her hand and used a restoration spell to try and heal some of it up. Her ankle went cold before beginning to throb painfully. Ana plopped back down onto the forest floor.

"This feels like a prison," she said to herself, not realizing what she said at first. Her eyes widened. It really did feel like a prison. Stuck in one place, in pain, little to no food or water… it was all just under the guise of different scenery. Ana sighed and closed her eyes, thinking to herself. What was something she could use to get herself out of this mess?

How about her sword? Ana looked down at the sheath of her sword. It was bent in half, the sword most likely shattered into pieces. She felt her heart sting. Eorlund made this sword for her just to have it shatter from a fall. Brute strength definitely wouldn't work. It hurt like hell just to sit up. Ana didn't know any spells to push this thing off of her. Magic probably wouldn't help. She didn't even have a staff…

 _The staff!_

Ana sat up quickly to look around for the staff. Didn't that Daedric guy say it could summon one of his minions to help her? Desperately trying to ignore the white-hot pain that shot up through her leg, she rummaged through her pack and looked around the area. Ana felt more and more hopeless as the minutes ticked by. She screamed out in pain in frustration, her throat burning afterward. As she let out a few coughs, she lighted back down. Deep, shaky breaths emitted from her chest. She felt a throbbing headache begin in the back of her head, threatening to get worse if she moved even a smidge from where she was. Warm tears caressed her cheeks as she lay there, hopeless and hurt. Eventually, Ana found herself falling asleep- or in more proper words, unconscious. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a dark figure emerge from the ground nearby. Unable to comprehend what it was, her mind let it be. She finally fell into black as the figure began to head towards her.

 **. . .**

 _ **Author's Note: So sorry this is such a short chapter! I promise the next one will be much longer, but I didn't know where to put this tidbit chapter besides in its own. I am currently working on Chapter Eight, which I am very excited about! Anyways, farewell for now.**_

 _ **-A. F. Naturality**_


	8. Chapter Eight

When Ana awoke, she saw a dim, golden light illuminating whatever room she was in. Her ankle felt stiff. Looking down, she noticed some sort of cast around her leg. She sat up and examined the room. Dwemer pipes outlined the walls and ceiling. A fur rug with a pillow sat on the floor next to the bed she was on. A desk cluttered full of things sat snugly in a tiny space across the room from her. The walls and floor were stone, but weren't cold to the touch. Ana rean a finger curiously over the wall. It was smooth, but had a few cracks here and there. Ana continued to look around, noticing a large pack near the desk. Next to that pack was hers.

"Where am I?" Ana asked herself quietly. She wondered who had brought her here and patched her up. She remembered the figure, but believed it was just her imagination. Her thoughts stopped abruptly as light poured into the room before disappearing again. Steps down what sounded like a metal ladder grew louder until a large black figure appeared. Ana felt her heart stop, sudden fear and curiosity gripping her chest. The figure turned around and seemed to jump in surprise upon seeing her awake. In their hands was the staff Ana had lost. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, struggling to say something to this strange person.

"You're… awake," the figure said, speaking before Ana. Ana figured it was a man considering the bulky physique and low voice. The armor he wore was ebony. It cast off a dreadful glimmer as the Dwemer lighting hit it. Ana didn't know how to respond. She nodded slowly, her body tense. She guessed she could ask about the staff.

"How… did you get my staff?" she asked slowly, her voice cracking.

"Wha..? Oh! This thing. I went looking for it for you," he explained. He sounded just as tense as she was.

"How did you know I even had one?"

"You were mumbling in your sleep about it. I decided to go find it. I didn't figure it'd look as odd as this, though," he replied. Ana nodded and shifted herself closer to the wall behind her and leaned against it.

"Where am I? How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"Um... " the figure began, setting the staff down next to her things, "My 'house', I guess. We're underground, and you've been out for three days."

" _That would explain the Dwemer objects here. Just how far underground are we...? Couldn't be that far down if I could see light when he came down. And three days?"_ Ana thought to herself. She felt a little grateful for this person saving her, but didn't know his true intentions. She shook her head and continued on with her next question.

"Who are you?"

"You first. Who are you working with?" the figure said, his body becoming defensive.

"What? Nobody. Are you working with anyone?" she asked.

"Not anymore," the figure said quietly, "Anyway, what is your name?"

"...Ana Highal," she responded. The figure froze. He pulled his helmet off, revealing bright blonde hair and orange-yellow skin. He was an Altmer like her, but with striking blue eyes. His eyes were widened as if in shock.

"Highal is a name I haven't heard in a long while. What is someone like you doing here in Skyrim?" he asked, his voice sounding much clearer now without the thick helmet on his head. Ana narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean ' _someone like me?_ '" she asked harshly.

"W-Well, members of the Highal family are usually… pompous. They wouldn't ever come to a place like Skyrim," he explained. Ana sighed, figuring there'd be a reputation for her family, even here.

"Anyway," Ana continued, "Your turn. Who are you?"

"Valmorren Adhire," he said, sitting down on the floor.

"Adhire…? Wait a second," Ana thought aloud. She looked at Valmorren with fear in her eyes. "Adhires are pa-"

"Part of the Thalmor," he finished with her, "Yes, I know. I guess we're both different from our families."

Ana was speechless. She thought of something else to ask.

"Why did you help me?" she asked.

"I'm not heartless. Who would leave someone to lie there and die such a painful death?" Valmorren asked. His answer quieted the both of them. Ana put all of the information she received together. Adhires and Highals were constantly working together considering her family's close ties to the Thalmor. She remembered as a child, they would travel up to the Thalmor Embassy by Solitude in order for her parents to report information. She frowned as she remembered how the wizards would teach her tricks and be so kind to her. She wondered what went wrong with the dominion after all these years.

"You asked me why I was in Skyrim," Ana began, catching Valmorren's attention. Apparently she wasn't the only one who went to her thoughts.

"What?" he asked.

"You asked why I was here. In Skyrim," she repeated, "Would you like to know why?"

"Of course," Valmorren said, sitting up a bit straighter to show his interest. Ana cleared her throat and thought of how to begin.

"To put it basically, I was framed for murder. My little brother, Molran, was found dead on the twenty-ninth of Evening Star. After a day of investigating, the evidence was pinned on me. My mother and father physically threw me out of the house towards the guards. They made sure to shout out that I was, and I quote, "A disgrace to the Highal family name, and I should have never been kept in the family". My younger sister, and technically apprentice in the art of frost magic, Enorra, was the only one in Cheydinhal trying to help me. I was stripped down to rags and thrown into a prison cell. For what seemed like forever, I was questioned and tortured in… various ways. Eventually, I was taken out of my cell and paraded around my hometown like a trophy," Ana explained. A look of horror was plastered upon Valmorren's face as he tried imagining everything she was telling him.

"What… What else? Was your family there?" he asked.

"Of course! My family is made up of nobles. Even my parents took enjoyment of the 'show'. Poor Enorra, however… She looked so terrified," Ana said, frowning, "I wish I could see her once more in this lifetime…"

Ana ended up trailing off, her eyes glossing over with tears as memories flooded in. Valmorren touched her arm gently. Ana looked down at him, a couple tears rolling down her face.

"What happened next..?" he asked, attempting to get her mind off of her sister.

"Well, after I was paraded around, I was allowed to have a full meal.I learned that the next day I was to be executed. In the night, I had finally unscrewed the bars in my cell to escape. I felt so lucky that I wasn't caught. I ran from my home to Skyrim where I would have one hell of an adventure," she said with a slight smile.

"What happened once you got here?" Valmorren asked.

"I found myself in the middle of a fight between the Imperials and Stormcloaks. I went to one of Stormcloak's dying soldier and decided to avenge him. I have to give it to the Nords for having enough balls to try and take down a whole Empire," Ana continued. Valmorren laughed and waved his hand at her, gesturing that she could go on. "Once the battle was over, the blue men and women took me to their rebellion's leader, Ulfric. He's definitely a racist, power-hungry idiot… but at least he was reasonable enough to give me, an elf-"

"An Altmer, no less," Valmorren interrupted.

"Exactly. He gave an Altmer like me a chance by offering me to join his rebellion. Now, I had gone to Candlehearth Hall to rest for a day and think over his proposition, but I met an odd fellow. His name was Sam. After that night, I woke up all the way in Markarth! Apparently I was so drunk out of my mind, I couldn't remember anything.

"Once I left Markarth, I went to Rorikstead. I had gone there because I was told I could find Sam there. However, the Thalmor eventually arrived. The first time, they surprisingly left without searching through everything and breaking things like usual. The second, however, is how I got this nasty scar on my cheek," Ana went on, pointing towards her cheek.

"I wondered where that came from. Looks like it hurt pretty bad. Any deeper and even restoration magic wouldn't even be able to help. Unless it came from an experienced practitioner. Even so, I doubt you wouldn't find anyone that skilled in Skyrim except for maybe at the College of Winterhold," Valmorren commented. Ana nodded in agreement.

"That's a good point."

"But, how long did you stay in Rorikstead?" Valmorren asked.

"Ah, right. I had stayed there a couple days because my next stop was Whiterun- which is where the first few Thalmor were heading. The man who ran the Inn let me stay there for as long as needed," Ana answered.

"Okay, so you went to Whiterun after Rorikstead. WHat happened then?" Valmorren asked.

"Full of questions, huh?" Ana joked, "Anyway, I had gone to Whiterun and tried looking for a woman named Ysolda. SHe confronted me about some ring I had gotten from her. I told her I would try to get it back to her or pay her somehow, but I highly doubt either of those things would happen," Ana told him.

"Why? How much was the ring?" Valmorren asked.

"Two-thousand septims," she answered. Valmorren's eyes widened.

"Gods, that's a lot."

"Yep. Well, after I talked with her, she told me I should head to Morvunskar, a place teeming with mages. Now, to get a weapon, Mralki, the man who ran the Rorikstead Inn, told me to talk to an Eorlund by Jorrvaskr. He was the one who specially made me the sword in that sheath right there," Ana said, pointing towards the broken and bent sheath, "He directed me to a Kodlak Whitemane, whom allowed me to stay and prepare for Morvunskar for months."

"Okay, okay. Get to the good part now. Did you fight mages in Morvunskar?" Valmorren asked.

"Well, yeah. But get this, there was a portal in one of the rooms crawling with mages. I entered it and found Sam. Turns out, he was a daedric prince this whole time. Sanguine, the daedric prince of mischief," Ana recited as she told Valmorren. His eyes were bulging.

"Woah, woah, woah. Wait. You faced a daedric prince… and lived? Did you sacrifice your freedom or something?" he asked. Ana laughed loudly.

"No, nothing like that. He considered me a friend," Ana told him with a smile, "Anyway, I returned to Windhelm and was thrown out because I had refused Ulfric's proposition. I wanted to get out of that town and somewhere warmer, so I started heading towards Riften. We both know how this story continues," Ana said, gesturing to her leg then the whole room.

"Wow. That's more exciting than my story," Valmorren said.

"Well? Let's hear it. It's your turn anyways," Ana said, letting him explain his side.

"Oh, um… Alright," Valmorren started, "But first, can I get out of this armor?"

Ana rolled her eyes and looked away, covering her eyes. Valmorren thanked her and stood up. Ana could hear the clunking of metal and a drawer opening. After a few more minutes, Valmorren allowed her to uncover her eyes. She looked over to see that he was still fairly tall without the ebony boots bolstering his height. He had broad shoulders and a fairly muscled torso. Wearing all that heavy armor all the time must've done his strength some good. He wore long, crimson colored pants and a dark shirt that only covered up to the base of his wrists. Valmorren sat down once more, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath.

"Where to start…?" he mumbled to himself, but loud enough for Ana's ears to catch it. He pat his legs and sat up straight.

"Alright, so as a kid I've always looked up to the Thalmor. Knowing I was going to be one of them one day, I always tried training with the soldiers or learning spells with the wizards. They were always too busy to train a child, but by the time I became a teen, they gladly helped me. Much like my parents thought, I was exceptional in magic. Restoration magic was my strong suit, however, leading to quarrels between me and other wizards," Valmorren began.

"Which is how my ankle is much better than before?" Ana asked.

"Yep. You're welcome, by the way," he joked.

"Thank you," Ana said and laughed, "Anyway, you fought with other wizards and then what?"

"After a few years of training, I was officially one of them. I was stationed up at Solitude as a healer. It was… something, to say the least. The torture the Nords speak of is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes down to it. I was the one who healed the prisoners just to have them be interrogated again," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"What was it like to you?" Ana asked.

"...Horrible. It felt like my healing didn't do much. I felt like a monster doing what I did," Valmorren explained. Ana was quiet.

"At least your prisoners had a healer at all," Ana said, trying to make him feel better. But, it had the opposite effect.

"You see?! You weren't given a healer at all! That's why I don't associate with the Thalmor or my family at all anymore," Valmorren said harshly, "And with you not having a healer, it must've been so painful… especially with all the scars on your legs."

Ana looked down at the spots of scarred skin on her legs. She cringed and nodded.

"It was," she said.

"I'm surprised you don't have nightmares. Most prisoners do," Valmorren said.

"I don't dream at all. I found a way to switch them off while I sleep during my time imprisoned," Ana told him. Valmorren's expression turned into a look of pity.

"I'm… sorry," he said softly.

"It's fine. Now, how did you escape the Thalmor? How'd you end up here?" Ana asked, moving the story along.

"Right. When a former friend of mine and I went back to the Embassy to report to our commander, we found out the two of us were getting promoted. I would have rather stayed a healer instead of a commander. Commanders are the ones who choose how the interrogation goes. I didn't accept the position and spoke out harshly against my commander. We ended up fighting and he threw me out. I had gone to Morthal for awhile before news of a 'rogue Altmer' was hiding out in Morthal. Turns out, it was me and I was wanted for conspiracy against the dominion," Valmorren continued, "I ran like a coward away from Morthal. I hid out for two years until I stumbled upon this hideout. It was abandoned, so I had cleaned it up and made it my new home."

"How'd you get food and armor?" Ana asked.

"I disguised myself. Over the years, I've gotten better at it, but I still feel like I'm being hunted," Valmorren answered. Ana nodded. The two may have different origin stories, but they were both in the same boat. The two sat quietly for a while, processing each other's stories as the time passed.

"Valmorren," Ana began.

"Call me Val," he said with a smile.

"Val," Ana said, looking at him, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For healing me and being the only Thalmor I've met that has a heart," she told him earnestly. Valmorren looked touched. He grinned at her.

"Of course," he said. Ana smiled back and lied down, relaxing. At least she was here with someone she could trust. It might've been a stretch considering the two just met, but if he really wanted to kill or hurt her, he wouldn't be this hospitable. The hate in his eyes when he spoke about the Thalmor showed how much he despised what he once was. Ana closed her own eyes and fell asleep.


	9. Chapter Nine

Ana sat up and moved her legs so they dangled off the bed. A few weeks had passed and Valmorren had taken care of Ana's ankle as he promised. The two had gotten to learn more facts about one another within that time, drawing them closer together. Valmorren was currently sitting at his desk as Ana tried to get up. He heard her movement and glanced over.

"Need any help?" he asked, "It's been awhile since you've tried to walk."

"Yes please," Ana said. Valmorren stood up and walked over, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and holding her up by the midsection. Ana stood up on her good leg, her knee buckling out from under her immediately. Valmorren quickly lifted her.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he told her. Ana nodded and took a deep breath. She composed herself and put weight on her leg. She stood there for a few moments, her leg struggling to readjust. Valmorren watched her carefully.

"Let me know when you're ready to take a step," he said softly. Ana nodded again, focusing on keeping her balance. She tried to put weight on her bad leg, hissing in pain as she did. The pain subsided and she gripped Valmorren's shoulder. She took a step first with her bad leg, a throbbing pain forming as she did. Valmorren walked with her, making sure she was alright. Ana continued to take steps around the room in an odd circular pattern. Her good leg had remembered how to function and aided her bad leg in walking around. Soon, Ana stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Valmorren asked.

"Can I try it by myself?" Ana asked, looking up at him. Valmorren's face showed obvious concern, but he stepped away from her. He held onto her arm just in case she fell.

"Be careful, Ana. I'll stop you from falling. Take your time," Valmorren told her. Ana nodded and shakily took a step forward. For a moment, she felt like a child learning how to walk again. She took another step, her ankle throbbing slightly. As she took her third, she stepped on her bad leg wrong and began to fall. Valmorren rushed to stop her from falling, catching her before she landed on her bag leg. He took a breath of relief as he held her up.

"I think I can do it again," Ana said, standing up once more, her hand holding onto his shoulder.

"Not without support you can't," Valmorren told her, "I've been working on this for you."

He led her to his desk where an almost finished crutch lay. He sat Ana down in his chair before picking up the crutch. He sanded the rest of it down, brushing off the sanded wood. The crutch was thick, the base becoming smaller as you reached the bottom. He handed the crutch to Ana, allowing her to try it out. Ana put pressure on the crutch as she stood up. She grabbed onto Valmorren's arm for a second before taking a few steps with the crutch. She let go of Valmorren and walked on her own. Valmorren held his arms out as she did, not wanting her to fall. He smiled as she could walk better and better with each step. Ana grinned at herself and went to Valmorren.

"Thank you," she said, smiling up at him.

"My pleasure," he replied, smiling back, "Do you need any help at all?"

"No, I think the crutch'll work," she told him, walking to her bed. When she sat down, Valmorren sat across from her in his desk chair.

"So, what are you planning to do after you're healed up?" Valmorren suddenly asked. Ana tilted her head quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, where are you going to go? Are you going to Riften still?"

"Oh… I don't know actually. I wanted to go somewhere warmer, I guess," Ana replied.

"So you have no idea what you're going to do?"

"No, I guess not…"

"You know," Valmorren began, leaning forward and putting his forearms on his knees, "You could always stay with me. It's been nice actually having someone to talk to."

Ana fet her heart flush at the suggestion. She had also enjoyed his company, maybe even a little more than Valmorren knew.

"I'd be happy to," she said. Valmorren grinned and got up, glancing around the room.

"Alright, well, since you can walk well enough you can be on your own for a few days. There should be enough food to last you," he told her.

"Are we low on supplies?" she asked.

"Yep. And I can't wait any longer to gather them up. I'll be heading northwest towards Whiterun. Hopefully a Khajiit caravan is there. They usually have good materials when they come around- regardless of where they got it from," Valmorren explained. He looked at her with slight concern. "You sure you're gonna be alright?"

"Of course. Besides, you've been hidden away for years here, so it wouldn't be likely that someone were to come in," Ana said.

"That's true. But either way, be careful. I don't want to come back to you hurt even more than you already are," he told her.

"I know, I know," Ana chuckled. She stood up and went over to him. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You be safe yourself, Val."

Valmorren looked down at her in slight shock. He returned the hug after processing everything, his heart speeding up. He took note of everything he was feeling. Ana was small and her hair felt soft. She was just as warm as her smile as she kept holding onto him. Valmorren smiled, feeling his chest flutter wildly. Ana soon pulled away and went back to her bed. Valmorren put on his armor and grabbed his pack, the room quiet except for the times his armor clinked together. Ana sometimes wondered how he could even maneuver himself in his armor. He waved goodbye just before he left Ana on her own.

Ana sat by herself, thinking. She lied back and took a deep breath. She began thinking about Valmorren and how close the two have grown to each other. She blushed and smiled at herself as she began thinking of scenarios the two could be in. He was fairly handsome and a great person- definitely the only _former_ Thalmor she's ever known. Back in Cyrodiil, she believed being independent was the best choice- especially in the situation she was in before breaking her leg. Being attractive in the eyes of mer back at home and being a noble caused her to gain countless comments from both men and women. Many of her male classmates tried their chances with her, but were ultimately rejected. Her mother always preached that nobles only married other nobles and falling for anyone less was dishonorable whenever Ana mentioned the boys in her class. Valmorren was definitely a noble- and of high regard as well, but the both of them had fallen from honor one way or another, so nobility wouldn't matter at all. It was a silly thing to think of from the start anyways.

Ana looked to her left at the Dwemer lights. She wondered if the two could ever live in peace. If they wed, what would their last names be? Both would be highly alarming to the Thalmor. And if they were to have children? Would they raise them in hiding?

"Gah! I'm thinking too much and too far ahead," Ana scolded herself, the empty room quietly responding with the echoes of her voice. Ana sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't even know if a man like Valmorren were even interested in her. She rolled onto one side, covering herself with the blanket. She would just have to ask when he got back.


	10. Chapter Ten

It had been three days or so since Valmorren left for supplies. Ana was making herself something to eat as she continued to think to herself. She missed Valmorren and hoped he was alright. The crutch leaned against the wall next to her. She could mostly walk on her own, but there were times when the crutch was needed. Ana smiled as she finished cooking. She was very thankful for Valmorren. It was odd how things could play out so well. In the back of her mind, she felt something was going to happen- whether it was good or not. Ana lifted up the spoon to her face, the heat pressing itself to her face. She blew on the food gently before eating it carefully. Although she adored spices and fine dining, the food Valmorren had stocked up was a good substitute. While rummaging through his pantry-in-the-wall, she had found a tattered notebook of recipes Valmorren had written down. The ones with stars beside them were his own (which had, in fact, taken up over three-fourths of the book). Ana followed some of the recipes she could make with what she had carefully. Most of them tasted like they did back in Cyrodiil despite there not being much on the ingredients list. She would have to ask Valmorren how he came up with them when he got back.

Looking upward, she noticed a tiny bug skittering along the wall. She tensed up and continued to eat, looking away to ignore it. She stood up carefully and took her food with her as she slowly limped towards the bed. She set the food down on the floor and pulled out another book she found in Valmorren's desk from under her pillow. Her eyes gazed down curiously at the brown-red cover. A string hung limply from the top of it. Ana ran her hand gently over the cover, feeling the old, grainy texture underneath her fingers. While Valmorren was gone, she had grown bored and decided to look around with her new mobility. While going through the desk, she had found the book underneath a false panel. She felt her adrenaline spike as she opened up the book for the first time. She had quickly shut it, not knowing if Valmorren would be mad for getting into his things like that. Alas, curiosity had gotten the better of her and she peered into the hidden contents. She wondered for a few moments why Valmorren had something like this.

"It must be a journal…" she mumbled to herself as she lay eyes on the first page. There was a date in the top right, the handwriting on the page surprisingly neat and elegant. Ana had pictured his handwriting to be more messy or natural as his recipe book. He must've taken his time when writing in his journal. Ana guessed this was his escape from the world- a place he could let all of his thoughts out without worrying about anyone else seeing them. Ana shut the book again, feeling guilty about looking at his personal writings. She frowned as she glared at the rusty face of the notebook. It seemed to be taunting her, her curiosity burning inside her. Ana sighed and finally opened up the journal, reading the first entry.

 _ **20th of First Seed 4E 186**_

 _ **The commander gave each of us one of these journals to write down our reports in. I'm not sure what nonsense shall come of this, but I have to follow through with his orders. My report today:**_

 _ **-This feels stupid.**_

 _ **-No prisoners have been talking to any of us.**_

 _ **-My bunkmate is too loud and needs to shut his mouth.**_

 _ **That is all for my report today. Hopefully, there is an actual use for these later on.**_

 _ **~V. Adhire**_

Ana read his signature. It was so… elegant? Beautiful? She didn't know how to describe it, but she enjoyed looking at the handwriting. So this was a journal full of reports? That might've been why the handwriting was so neat. She skipped ahead, trying to find something other than neatly-printed observations. She soon stopped on a page where the handwriting was rushed and sloppy. She frowned, reading it carefully in order to make sense of what it was saying.

 _ **30th of Frostfall 4E 188**_

 _ **I feel like such a moron, but it was worth it. I despise writing in thing still, especially for the purpose it served beforehand. My commander has told everyone I am a traitor. I'm quickly writing this down in hopes of changing its purpose. I will never look at those blasted reports ever again, for they already haunt my every waking hour. I am on the run and will never return to the Thalmor ever again. They are all just lustful for power- even if it means taking out one of their own.**_

 _ **I hate this job. Gods, save me.**_

 _ **~V. Adhire**_

Ana finished reading through it and stared blankly at the page. She slowly went back and read through some of the reports. They were highly detailed and took up almost five or six pages each. His personal entries were much, much shorter than the reports. Each report gave intimate details of how the prisoner responded to certain torture methods, what information they gave, and what procedures had been completed. Ana slammed the book shut, her stomach churning after reading them. She wondered if the guards holding her prisoner had these same types of journals. It made her nauseous to think of her reactions and their methods being written down in a notebook to just to be examined by a sick, twisted Altmer. Ana closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening up the journal again on a page much farther ahead than the reports. Most of them listed how many days he was in hiding before detailing what he did that day. Ana spent hours reading through them until she came to the more recent entries- or at least the entries from when he found her.

 _ **12th of Last Seed 4E 197**_

 _ **I found a girl dying of infection and starvation today. Although she seems safe, I have to keep a careful eye on her. Her leg is badly wounded, pus and bone were coming out of her skin. I couldn't stand by and let someone die- innocent or not. Hopefully, my empathy doesn't kill me after all these years of hiding.**_

 _ **~V. Adhire 4E 197**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **15th of Last Seed**_

 _ **The girl is still unconscious, but my magic is healing her leg up quickly. She's an Altmer like me. I found her things nearby her, some broken, some bent. Her sword looks like fine craftsmanship. It'd be horrible for any soldier or smith to find out it's shattered.**_

 _ **The girl mumbles in her sleep. Sometimes, she jumps and begins to scream. I calm her down with my magic, but some nights, I cannot rest because of her terrified screams. I wonder what she is dreaming about. It surely must be horrid to sound that scared. Anyways, I hope tomorrow will bring her to consciousness.**_

 _ **~V. Adhire**_

 ** _._**

 _ **25th of Last Seed 4E 197**_

 _ **It's been ten days since Ana had woken up. She's been healing fairly well, so hopefully, she will be able to walk. I feel reassured to still know she is in a similar place as me. I sometimes think to myself what would've happened if she and I had met before we "fell from grace", so to speak. I am grateful for having met her. She's quite an oddball, but in a good- and sometimes adorable- way. She enjoys going on and on about the littlest things. Like, for example, she was telling me about her taste in food. Of course, she was a noble who enjoyed spices but never knew my secret to making simple foods with great flavor. She would rave on and on about how my food almost tasted better than in Cyrodiil! I have to admit, I enjoy her company very much.**_

 _ **Our supplies are running low, however, so I have to leave some time to get more supplies. Maybe after she can use the crutch I'm making her, will I take my leave. I wonder if she will ever notice or return the affections I have for her. Ah, well. This entry is getting a tad bit long, so I'll end it here.**_

 _ **~V. Adhire**_

Ana read each page with a giddy expression. Her heart fluttered as Valmorren detailed his affections for her and told about the little things he enjoyed from her. He did, however, explain things he disliked about her. Those days were the same days he'd snap out of nowhere before apologizing to her. Ana closed the book carefully after reading the last entry and hugged it. It didn't matter if he had done such gruesome reports. It was a little under ten years ago, and his remorse is express greatly within the journal. He was someone with a big heart, and that is what Ana loved about him the most.

Suddenly, she heard the door unlatch, light pouring in. A large bag was lowered slowly down to the ground before a familiar figure began descending the ladder. Valmorren latched the door and hopped off the ladder. He took off his helmet, sighing in relief.

"Sorry, it took so long, Ana. I made sure to get plenty of supplies for the both of-" he stopped as soon as he laid eyes on the journal still in Ana's hands. Ana realized what he was staring at and mentally scolded herself. She completely spaced the fact she was still holding it.

"Val, I-" she began, but Valmorren held a hand up, gesturing for her to stop. His face was almost unreadable. Annoyance, shock, and anger were hinted at as he slowly walked over and plucked it from her grasp. He put it back where it belonged silently.

"How much did you read?" Valmorren finally asked in a low, almost hushed, voice after standing straight up. He sounded nonchalant, which freaked Ana out. Ana opened and closed her mouth, trying to find a good answer. She decided to be blunt about it. Better to rip the bandage off fast rather than take her time.

"All of it. Well, not all but most of it. The reports… they were-"

"Terrible, I know," he interrupted again. He sighed and sat down, thinking to himself with furrowed brows.

"Are you upset?" Ana asked, mentally punching herself. It was such a stupid question to ask even though the answer was obviously 'yes'. Valmorren didn't answer her question.

"Do you think any differently of me?" he asked her, looking her straight in the eyes. His eyes were… sad? Sad and hurt would be the best way to describe it. His brows were still furrowed and his body looked tense. It was as if he was afraid of her answer.

"No, o-of course not!" Ana reassured, "The reports… they were years ago. They're history."

Valmorren's expression shifted. He relaxed a little, but his eyes never changed.

"I'm sorry I read through it. I know I shouldn't have, but curiosity got the better of me and-" Ana continued, beginning to ramble an apology until Valmorren began to chuckle.

"You're… You're alright. Do I feel ashamed? Yes. Some- no, all. All of those reports I feel ashamed of. I do give you props, however, for finding the journal itself. I thought I was clever when hiding it. But, that also must explain where the extra books under my desk came from," he said with a sheepish smile. Ana felt relief wash over her as he said that. Valmorren looked to his left and noticed the crutch leaning against the wall.

"So you can walk without it now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Sometimes I still need it, though. Thank you again for it," she replied. Valmorren nodded in response. The two sat quietly for a minute before Valmorren stood up and gathered the new supplies. He began to put them all away, the soft sound of clinking filling the room every now and then. He soon set his bag down and began to take his armor off. Ana noticed something flicker in his eyes. Fear? Suspicion? Hope? Excitement? It seemed to be every one of those emotions one after the other in a flash. Ana soon noticed why as he took the chestpiece off. An amulet of Mara glinted as the light from the room hit it. Ana felt her heart beat fast as she stared at the metal charm. Valmorren knew what she was staring at and began to speak.

"I know noble Altmer usually marry based on lineage, but… we're both special cases, aren't we?" he joked awkwardly. Ana snapped out of her trance and looked up at him with wide eyes. Valmorren looked unsure of this and was anxiously awaiting a reply.

"Yes."

"Yes… what?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, I want to marry you, Val," she repeated. Valmorren's eyes widened. He laughed breathlessly for a second before laughing wholeheartedly. Ana grinned as he grew giddier with each passing moment. He rushed to her and hugged her tightly. Ana returned the hug, giggling at him. Valmorren caught her off guard as he held her face and kissed her right on the lips. Ana was shocked at first but eventually wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace. He lifted her up more and looked at her with eyes full of adoration. The two sealed their affection with a night they'll always remember.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Ana awoke the next day curled up in the blanket on her bed. She looked over her shoulder to see Valmorren sleeping on the floor like he usually would, his blanket covering up to his shoulders. She sat up and stretched before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She smiled to herself as she remembered the events of last night. For someone who never thought she needed to fancy anyone before, she felt like a young girl giddily talking about her first crush.

Ana swung her legs carefully over the side of the bed and began to get dressed. As she tightened the bodice of her normal clothing, she heard a sigh from Valmorren. She looked over to see him turning, hand over his eyes. His skin seemed to glow a yellow as the light hit his bare chest. Valmorren sat up, rubbing his eyes. He noticed her as he looked around the room.

"So, you finally woke up before me?" he asked with a sleepy smile. Ana chuckled and went to him. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. Valmorren grabbed her waist and pulled her down onto his lap, kissing her in return. Ana giggled and held onto him.

"I love you," she told him. Valmorren stroked her cheek, replying with a similar statement. The two rested in each other's embrace for a few more moments before Valmorren moved Ana next to him. He got up and got dressed himself. He looked as if he were thinking over something. Once he was done, he looked at Ana.

"Hey… when do you want to go to Riften to get married…?" he asked. Ana thought over his question for a moment, not remembering why they were both in hiding until now. She frowned, not knowing. It might've been safe for Valmorren since it's been years, but she was a recent criminal- if you consider almost a year being recent.

"I don't know… Would we have to wait forever since we're both wanted?" she asked. Valmorren frowned, thinking to himself again. He quickly went over to his desk and pulled it from the wall. Ana was confused until he removed a panel in the wall she never even noticed. She heard metal clinking and realized Valmorren was mumbling numbers to himself. After a while, he stopped and re-examined the things inside the panel.

"Val..?" Ana asked, confused.

"There's enough here for the both of us. There's a face changer in Riften that charges high prices, but their handiwork is amazing. We could go to Riften, change our faces, and get married. Then, we wouldn't live in fear anymore," Valmorren explained.

"Are you serious?" Ana asked in shock, "That exists?"

"Yes. At least from what I've seen. There's a place called The Ragged Flagon underneath the city. That's where I heard they resided," he continued, "I never actually considered it because it seemed like a long shot, but… I'm willing to give it a shot if you wanted to do this, too."

"I would, but," Ana began," Changing your face? What if something goes wrong?"

"I think it'll be unlikely. There were people going in then coming out and I could barely recognize them," Valmorren told her. Ana was still skeptical but was willing to try. She stood up.

"When would we leave?" she asked.

"Now, if you want. It takes two days to get to Riften anyways," Valmorren said.

"Well, I can walk for the most part, but in order to keep my leg from getting hurt worse, we'd have to stick to the roads," Ana said, gesturing to her leg.

"True, your leg is still healing. I'll be wearing my armor- that's kept me disguised for years. But what about you? Do you have a hood or something you can wear?" he asked. Ana shook her head.

"Should we wait..?" Ana asked.

"A few more days wouldn't hurt. I don't want to risk us getting caught after all this time," Valmorren said. Ana nodded and sat down on the bed. Valmorren went over to her and lifted up her healing leg. He pressed his hand gently against her wound and a yellow-white glow emitted from it, causing her leg to feel cold. Once Valmorren was done, he moved her ankle around slowly.

"We'll repeat this process at nighttime then the morning until we're ready to leave, okay?"

"Okay," Ana said, excited for the days to pass.

.

Longer than a few days had passed. It had been a week since the two decided to go to Riften. Ana was able to fully walk just fine thanks to the constant healing and physical therapy. She was gathering her things as she and Valmorren readied themselves for travel. Valmorren felt like the happiest person in the world despite his obvious paranoia. Ana placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey… no one will harm us while we're out there. We'll make it to Riften before you know it," Ana told him. Valmorren looked at her and sighed, nodding. He hoisted his pack over his shoulder and let Ana exit the room first. Ana felt her pulse quicken. It had been a month or so since she had actually been outside. She climbed the ladder and pushed the hatch open, light blinding her as she emerged. She covered her eyes and pulled herself out of the hole in the ground. She stood up and adjusted her pack, looking around to see if anything had changed. Valmorren pulled himself out slowly, shutting and locking the hatch behind him. He covered it up and went to Ana's side. The two began to walk, Ana examining the terrain, taking in everything. The air was colder and clearer than the underground. She could sense the smell of pine and feel the crunching of branches or leaves under her feet.

Hours passed as they walked together, trying their best to stay hidden. Ana began to hear someone moving. She and Valmorren froze, listening closely. They could hear frantic panting and whimpering. It sounded as if whoever this was frightened for their life. The two moved slowly and continued to listen in. Ana could see a figure as the two got closer to the noise. Long, dark hazelnut hair flowed jaggedly as nature made its nest in it. Pale-gold skin shone in the light seeping through the forest. Ana stopped, narrowing her eyes in concern. It was another Altmer, but she looked… familiar. Ana moved closer and quicker, wanting to get a better look at this odd person.

"Ana!" Valmorren whispered worriedly. He followed her, trying not to get caught. Ana stopped, waiting. The girl looked around, Ana only catching glimpses of her face. Soon, she turned around and Ana could see who she was. Her heart leaped and her eyes widened. Without thinking, she sprung up and ran towards the girl.

"Enorra!" Ana shouted, embracing her younger sister tightly. Enorra was shocked and panicked. She tried processing everything that was going on. Ana had begun to sob as she hugged her sister tighter.

"Ana…?" Enorra asked quietly, "You aren't dead?!"

Ana pulled away, tears streaming down her face. Valmorren ran up to them, afraid they were going to be caught.

"You guys can catch up later. Remember, Ana-" he began, looking at Enorra then back to Ana, "We're still wanted like this."

Ana nodded and they went back to sneaking their way to Riften. Enorra was eyeing Valmorren oddly, not knowing who this odd man in the dark armor was. Ana walked with the two, holding onto Enorra as they did. She had an indescribable happiness swelling in her heart. As the sun began to set, Valmorren stopped them.

"We can set up camp and rest for a while if you both want," he said without looking back at them, "I know Ana would definitely want to catch up with you."

"I think it's a great idea. I want to hear everything, Enorra," Ana said, looking at Enorra. Enorra was hesitant, but she agreed with Ana. They headed a bit farther into the woods and set up bedrolls. Ana let Enorra use hers.

"Alright… so who are you?" Enorra said, looking at Valmorren. Valmorren took his helmet off and smiled at her. He recognized the name of Ana's sister as soon as Ana said it. He remembered Ana reminiscing about her childhood and going on about Enorra.

"My name is Valmorren. I'm your sister's beloved," he said. Enorra's eyes widened and she looked at Ana.

"Is that true? And how does he know me?" Enorra asked.

"I told him about you and the rest of our family. Also, yes, it's true. That's why we're headed to Riften. We're going to change our faces and wed," Ana told her.

" Is he a royal?"

"That hardly matters by this point," Ana told her.

"But what about his family? He's a fugitive, too?"

"Yes, I am. My last name is Adhire," Valmorren explained.

"Ad-" Enorra began to shout, but she caught herself and quieted down, "Adhire?!"

"Yes, Adhire."

"Our family is good friends with yours. After Ana was sent off to be executed, they brought up a son of their s who had disgraced them and his officer. Was… was that you?" Enorra asked.

"They said that?" Ana asked. Enorra nodded and looked back at Valmorren.

"They might have been talking about me. I don't know if any of my brothers did the same. I haven't heard any news of them for years," Valmorren answered.

"Wow," Enorra whispered in surprise. Ana sat down next to Valmorren on his bedroll.

"So, Enorra. What happened? Why are you in Skyrim?" Ana asked her. Enorra tensed up and frowned.

"I stuck up for you. I found a letter and brought it to the guards, exclaiming the guards framed you. I think… I think someone hired the Dark Brotherhood to kill Molran," Enorra said. Ana's eyes widened and her heart dropped.

"The Dark Brotherhood…?" Ana asked, "What did the guards do?"

"I guess I'll start from the top when I found the letter," Enorra began.

.

 _Enorra had wide had when she finished reading the letter. It described what to do, who to frame, and details of Molran's whereabouts. Ana had been framed and she wasn't going to stand for it. She looked like she was about to drop dead when she was paraded about Cheydinhal. Her parents were proud of her injustice, glad to be rid of "a dirty woman". Enorra, filled with rage, ran outside and shouted to her parents. They turned and looked at her with annoyance._

" _Enorra? What are you doing out here? We're talking with the Marron family right now," he mother said. Enorra rushed over and presented the letter to them._

" _Ana was framed, mama. She didn't do anything wrong and we sent her away like she was some animal," Enorra said, "The Dark Brotherhood must've-"_

" _Hush, Enorra! We do not speak of the Brotherhood so freely. And your sister was a monster. She deserved what she got. Now, go inside and finish up your studies," her father interjected._

" _No!"_

" _Excuse me?" her father asked slowly, standing up straighter. His height was high up and his current posture greatly increased his intimidation. Enorra stood her ground._

" _I-I mean… Just read the letter, papa! Please! Ana did nothing wrong," she pleaded. Her mother sighed._

" _Excuse us," she told the nobles she was talking with. She led Enorra away from the group. "What on Nirn has gotten into you, Enorra?"_

" _Mama, please…" Enorra said, her heart wrenching with guilt, "It's all in the letter, I promise you."_

 _Her mother pursed her lips and opened it up._

" _If it makes you freak out this much, Enorra-dear, I shall read it," she said in annoyance. Her eyes scanned the paper once. Twice. Three times. Her eyes slowly widened and she grew terrified._

" _Where did you get this, Enorra?" she asked with a sharp tongue. Enorra was shaken by the question, her mother's voice venomous._

" _I found it in Molran's room, mama. I was cleaning his things when I found it on his floor," Enorra said honestly. Her mother suddenly ripped the letter apart._

" _Both of my daughters murdered my son and lied to me about it?!" she screamed, "Both of my daughters are insane!"_

 _Enorra's father looked in their direction with concern. He dismissed the guests and walked towards them._

" _Enorra! What have you done to upset your mother?" he asked._

" _She was in on it with Ana! She lied to me about killing my son, blaming it all on this fake letter!" her mother exclaimed. Enorra's father glared in white-hot anger._

" _Guards! Take this murder away from us! I have only a son, and he has returned to the Aedra as he should," her father ordered. Enorra felt her heart drop. As her mother sobbed into her father's chest, guards grabbed her roughly by the arms and dragged her away. She kicked and fought against them, but their grip was tight._

" _Mama!" she screamed, sobbing in fear. She never wanted this to happen. "Mama, please!"_

 _There was no response. She was shoved into a cart, one of the guards in the back with her, another in the front. The guard with her wrote in his report journal, examining her every move. Enorra hugged her knees to her chest and let her tears silently fall down her cheeks. The guard with her had attached her leg to a ball and chain to keep her from getting away._

" _Where are we going..?" Enorra asked herself quietly._

" _Skyrim," the guard answered, "You won't be given the privilege of dying in your home country. The Nords will take care of you."_

 _Enorra looked at him with fear. The stories she had heard about the Nords terrified her. They were known to be extremely brutal and merciless- even if it was just for fun. She stayed in silent fear for most of the ride to Skyrim. The guard sitting with her moved closer, leaning into her personal bubble. Enorra whimpered and moved her face away, his breath smelling disgusting. His hands reached out to her and began to caress her._

" _Please, stop…" she said quietly, causing him to hesitate. He held her hands together and shoved her down._

" _Don't tell me what to do, bitch," he snapped at her. Suddenly, the cart stopped, jolting the two. Enorra used this to her advantage and scurried away as far as she could. The other guard came to the back and let her out. He unchained her leg and tied her arms together._

" _Keep it in your pants, Dorkan," the first guard snapped. He looked at Enorra, "Now, get out of Cyrodiil. If you live, good for you. If you die, it's one less problem for anyone."_

 _Enorra was frozen still. The first guard huffed and grabbed her arm, leading her around the cart and shoving her ahead. She stumbled and continued walking, hearing the sound of footsteps behind her fading. She glanced over her shoulders and saw the guards leaving, the second guard now up front with the first. Enorra sighed and headed forward, feeling a certain sorrow in her chest. She struggled against the bonds on her hands, attempting to get them off. She continued to struggle and walk at the same time. Her skin turned raw and began to bleed, causing her to stop. After several hours of walking on her own, Enorra began to feel tired, scared, and sore. She followed a light she saw in the distance and hoped from the bottom of her heart it was a place she could get help from. Upon coming closer, it looked like it was a shack. The light was an abandoned lantern off to the side. Next to it was the corpse of whoever lived here before. Enorra went inside and observed a bed with a table next to it. On the table, it had a dagger. Enorra rushed over and quickly cut herself free. She sighed in relief as the bloodied ropes fell to the floor. Enorra lied on the bed, feeling extremely tired. She closed her eyes and began to rest._

 _The next morning, Enorra searched for bandages to wrap her arms up with. She grabbed the dagger on the table and cut bottom pieces of her dress off, wrapping herself up in those. She continued to walk onward, taking the dagger with her for protection. She found herself becoming lost in the woods-_

.

"-And that's how I ended up here, I guess," Enorra finished. Ana and Valmorren were quiet, trying to process everything.

"How long were you wandering?" Ana asked.

"And the guards just let you go like that..?" Valmorren asked.

"I was wandering for days, I think- it seemed like forever. And, no... They didn't let me go that easily," she said, tensing up. Ana frowned and put a hand on Valmorren's shoulder as he began to ask another question, gesturing for him to drop the subject.

"At least you're alright now, Enorra," Ana said, thankful she didn't have to endure the same torture Ana did. Enorra nodded and went over to her sister, hugging her tightly. Ana returned the hug, holding onto her, never wanting to leave her out of her sight again. Valmorren watched them until he realized his eyelids were growing heavy. Letting out a huge yawn, he tapped Ana's shoulder.

"I think we should get some rest. The earlier we do, the earlier we can get to Riften," he said. Enorra and Ana agreed, each of them getting comfortable in their "beds". Each of them fell asleep- one after the other- until morning came.

.

The next night, the trio had made it to Riften at last. The guards recognized Valmorren's armor and let them pass easily- no toll required. Valmorren's intimidating physique with his armor set off many people, causing them to feel fear. The guards definitely didn't want any trouble with a man that looked like he could kill a giant with one hand. Little did they know how soft-hearted Valmorren really was.

"Alright," Valmorren began, looking around, "We need to get to the Ragged Flagon and we'll go to the temple in the morning."

"Sounds good," Ana said. Enorra was holding her hand, sticking with her as she did when the two were younger. Valmorren led them down to the sewers under the city and made sure to keep everyone close together. It smelled rancid and felt mucky. Dripping noises and odd squishing was heard as they walked through. They eventually came to a big room with lanterns along the walls. Valmorren led them down to a door and opened it up for them. When Ana entered, she noticed a floor in the middle of a pool of water. There was a bar over in the back and people talked with one another. Whether or not it was business or banter, the place still unnerved Ana. Valmorren took his helmet off, leading them ahead, hoping the rumors were true. He asked around for a man or woman who changed faces.

"Sounds like you're looking for me. I can change your appearance- whether it be beautiful or ugly- for a price, of course," a woman spoke up.

"Yes, it's two thousand each person, correct?" Valmorren asked, going up to her, hope swelling in his chest.

"Of course. Do you have the-?" she began, but before she could finish her question, Valmorren slammed his coins down. "Ah. So you've come prepared. Good."

She collected the coins and looked at the three.

"Only two of you?"

"Yes," Ana said, "He and I will be doing this."

"Ah. Who would like to go first?" the woman asked.

"You go first, Ana," Valmorren whispered to her. Ana nodded and stepped forward. The woman smiled.

"Come with me, then," she said, leading Ana away. After what seemed like hours, The woman returned with Ana. Ana's face looked tighter and her eyes were more almond-y shaped. Her lips were fuller and pouted more, giving her a sweeter and less noble-like look. Valmorren smiled at her and followed the woman for his turn. Enorra stared with wide eyes as she examined at her sister's new face.

"You look… weird," Enorra said, "But in a good way."

"Thanks?" Ana asked, laughing. Her face became serious. "Will anyone back home recognize me?"

"Not right off the bat, no. But if given a bit of time, they will," Enorra said. Ana nodded. After a while of waiting, Valmorren came out. His ears were sharper and his nose came out more. He had a few scars from his face healed (or removed) and had his lips thinned a bit. He laughed as the odd looks from the two.

"Am I really that different?"

"Sorta," Ana replied with a smile. She went up to him and gave him a tight hug, happy they were able to do this.

"Two lovers eloping without family permission, I'm guessing?" the woman asked.

"You can put it that way," Ana laughed, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Be on your way, this is a business after all, not a lounge," the woman said, dismissing them. The trio left the sewers. Ana and Valmorren felt happy they were disguised permanently, but both of them still had the fear of being discovered. They held onto each other as the three went up the stairs to Riften's main square. Valmorren could feel his nerves getting to him as he realized the two were actually doing this. He led Ana and Enorra to the temple of Mara, telling them to wait for him while he went in to arrange everything.

"Ana, you're getting married and you don't even have a dress," Enorra whispered.

"I know… but it's still a happy day, isn't it?" Ana asked. Enorra rolled her eyes.

"Come with me real quick. We wear the same size clothes. I'll hem the dress for you and do your hair. It's your day, Ana," Enorra said. She pulled Ana to the back of the temple and found a place for them to change. Enorra took her dagger out as, as evenly as possible, cut the jagged edges of the dress. She picked a bunch of flowers and put her hair up, decorating it with them. Ana smiled, remembering how she always had to do Enorra's hair before a noble gathering or something of the sort. Enorra twisted her hair up into a bun and used thick pieces of grass to hold it together. She got into Ana's pack and found an extra set of clothes she had.

"Can we use these as a veil?" Enorra asked.

"Enorra, no. Please get out of my-"

Enorra held up a hand and caught a clothesline of fancy clothes. She snuck over to it and tried to pick something.

"Enorra!" Ana whispered, "Get back here now!"

Enorra looked back at her and sighed. It wasn't any use to go through all this trouble changing themselves to live freely just to have them captured again. She went back to Ana and examined her.

"It isn't much, and the dress goes down only to your ankles. You got taller, didn't you? That thing was long on me," Enorra commented. Ana shrugged. "Anyways, let's get you to your ceremony. I'll go check with your fiance on how things are going."

With that Enorra left her alone. Ana looked around and noticed a broken mirror a few feet behind her. She carefully picked it up and looked at her reflection with wide eyes. She truly looked different. Enorra had done a few twists and braids up into a bun, and it looked good. It was much better than when she first did her hair- aka leaving it in a tangled mess of fuzz. Ana caressed her face gently, the familiar stranger enrapturing her in her own beauty. The scar along her cheek was left there. Ana kept it in order to remember how she got here. She didn't believe in getting rid of her scars- no matter how horrible. They were remnants of the past events that made her stronger.

"Ana," Enorra said, scaring her back to reality. Ana stood up and looked over at her. "Your man is ready."

"He has a name, Enorra," Ana said, amused.

"I know. It's Val, right?"

"Valmorren. But, yes. Val works," Ana answered. She followed Enorra into the temple, her feet barefoot. When the doors opened, the priest grinned.

"And here is the blushing bride now!" he exclaimed happily. Valmorren, now out of armor, looked over and grinned at her. Ana walked down the aisle as Enorra took a seat, excitedly watching the wedding. Ana went up to Valmorren and she grinned back at him. It was just the two of them in their eyes, the priest's words blurring together in background noise as the couple stared into each other's eyes. The priest had soon stopped talking, which made them wonder if he waited for a response from them. They looked over and he gestured towards Valmorren.

"Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?" he asked again.

"Ah, yes! I do. Now and forever," he said with a goofy grin that made Ana's heart leap. The priest looked over at Ana.

"Do you agree to be bound, in love, with this man now and forever?" he asked her.

"I do. Now and forever," Ana said, grinning.

"Under the authority of Mara, the Divine of Love, I declare this couple to be wed. I present to the two of you with these matching rings, blessed by Mara's divine grace. May they protect each of you in your new life together," the priest announced, finishing the ceremony. Ana and Valmorren placed each other's rings on their fingers. Valmorren leaned in and kissed Ana lovingly, Enorra cheering them on. The two held one another's hand and began to walk towards the exit of the temple.

"Wait, Ana! I want to talk with the priest really quick," Enorra said, jumping up and going to him. As Ana and Valmorren waited, they began to discuss what they were going to do now.

"Well, would you like to settle down?" Valmorren asked.

"Well, I mean look where we are. We're in a new country I've only ever been in for noble reasons. I wonder what things are hidden here," Ana said.

"Adventure? That does sound really fun. I haven't been through Skyrim's holds in so long. Why not? And when we're ready, we can have a family someday," Valmorren said. Ana grinned and nodded. They looked over to see Enorra walking towards them.

"Did you guys decide to stay here?" Enorra asked.

"Oh, um. We decided we wanted to adventure together," Ana said with a smile.

"Well… I want to stay in Riften. As a priestess," Enorra said.

"Oh really? Why is that?" Ana asked.

"Well, remember when we were kids and I always loved the sermons from the priests and priestesses of Mara. I know I'll be safer here and I'll be able to do what those men and women did when we were younger," Enorra said excitedly.

"Well, if this is what you want, Enorra. Just be safe, okay?" Ana asked. Enorra nodded excitedly, hugged her sister tightly before going back to the priest. Ana laughed and looked back at Valmorren.

"So, what would you like to explore?" she asked.

"Everything," Valmorren joked. Ana laughed.

"Then we better get going, huh?" she said. The two said goodbye to Enorra and began their new life together happily.


	12. Chapter Twelve

It had been a few years since Ana and Valmorren had been married. The two had embarked on many adventures together, their bond growing stronger with every passing day. Ana had felt like she'd been walking on air anytime she was with Valmorren. They were a perfect match.

Currently, the two adventurers were climbing up a mountain towards an ancient ruin they had marked on their maps. They were looking for another relic to add to their collection back at home. They earned themselves quite the reputation with the people of Riften through their bobbles. Once the two reached the top, they wiped snow off their armor and smiled at each other. Ana began walking towards the ruin, but Valmorren stopped her.

"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked. Ana gave him a questioning look. "It's nothing bad. Promise."

"Oh, um… yeah," Ana said, wondering what he wished to talk about. She turned around to fully face him. Valmorren bit his lip, wondering how to ask this.

"So we've been married for a few years right?" he finally asked.

"Yeah…?"

"And we've done all this adventuring together, right?"

"Yes. What is this leading to, Val?" Ana asked.

"Well, I've been thinking, Ana…" he began, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Why not start a different adventure after this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to start a family, Ana," Valmorren told her. Ana's eyes widened and she felt a bright feeling in her chest. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I think that's a great idea," she said. Valmorren grinned in relief and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"Glad I've gotten that question off my chest. Let's go finish our expedition, okay?" he asked, laughing a little. Ana nodded and the two began to walk towards the ruin. As they were about to enter a broken walkway, they heard a loud roar just before a large shape zipped up into the sky above them.

"What was that?" Ana whispered, startled by the noise. Valmorren pulled his blade out and went outside to check it out. Ana followed close behind with a bow and arrow in hand. Valmorren held out an arm, signaling for her to stop. The large creature zipped past them again, giving them a better look at what it was. Ana's eyes widened in fear as she realized the large, winged beast was a dragon. She began to feel her heart pound.

"Ana, I want you to run. Now," Valmorren said, wishing to flee.

"We… We can't-"

"We have to _run_ , Ana," Valmorren said sharply as the beast circled around and started flying towards them, its sharp and gnarled teeth glinting menacingly in the sunlight. Valmorren had began to run back into the ruin where there was cover, but Ana was frozen in fear. He turned around and shouted out to her. Fear rushed through his veins as the dragon was getting closer and closer to his love. He let out a whine and ran towards her, grabbing her by the arm and shoving her out of the way. Ana snapped out of her trance as Valmorren began to tell her to run loudly. His eyes were wide with fear and his voice was high and shaky.

"Ana, go! Now! Don't look back. I'll be behind you," he shouted. Ana began to scramble up and run into the ruins. Behind her, she heard footsteps then a loud scream. Safe in the doorway, she spun around to see that the dragon had landed, its leg on Valmorren's. Valmorren flailed his sword to try and get away. Ana watched in fear. She looked around for her bow and realized she had dropped it when Valmorren grabbed her.

"Val!" she screamed out, the dragon looking up suddenly at her. It roared loudly and began to stomp towards the ruin. Valmorren rushed up, limping on a wounded leg. He slashed his sword at the tail, urging Ana to run farther away. Ana rushed deeper into the ruin, sliding into a hiding spot and crouching down. Ana covered her ears as she began to hear loud screaming coming from Valmorren. Her vision began to fade in and out as her heart rate increased. Tears flowed down her face as she tried to breathe through her panicked state. She began to hear running and whines coming closer. A body plopped down next to her and let out a shaky breath. Ana looked over and noticed Valmorren in great pain. A large gash ran along his chest, causing blood to gush out tremendously. Ana gasped and went to try and help him.

"V-Val!" she shouted. Roars and banging could still be heard from outside. Valmorren groaned in pain, panting to catch his breath as he sat up. His hand was soaked in blood like Ana's as she tried to help stop the bleeding. Valmorren used his other hand to cup her face.

"A...na…" he rasped. Ana look at him with a tearful expression.

"Y-Yes? What can I do?" she asked on the verge of sobbing. Valmorren scooted closer to her. He connected their foreheads together and rubbed his thumb across Ana's cheek gently.

"I love… you…" he said as he felt his consciousness fade.

"N-No! Val, please," Ana said, letting the tears escape her eyes, "We… We were going to settle down…"

"I… can't…" Valmorren said, coughing slightly, "Ghh… hur...ts."

"No, no, no…" Ana sobbed, holding him close. Valmorren hushed her shakily. He kissed her gently, Ana crying through it. Valmorren broke the kiss to look into her eyes,

"An… a… I love you," Valmorren said.

"I love you, too, Val…" Ana said sadly. She kissed him again, which he weakly returned. Ana held him close, feeling his warm breath against her neck. Ana stroked his hair as she held her hand on his, still hoping he would live. It wasn't until the breathing faded did she realized Valmorren had sunk down into her lap. Ana stared at him in shock for a few moments before feeling a new wave of sobs escape her mouth. Those few years of happiness, romance, and adventure came crashing down onto her bloodstained hands. Valmorren's cold body lay heavily on her lap just as much as it did her soul. For the second time in her life, Ana's heart broke completely.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Ana made her way out of the ruin hours after the dragon had gone. She carried Valmorren on her back, determined to bury him properly instead of leaving him in a random ruin. Tears had dried and stuck to her face, her lashes still holding the dew drops of despair that had once been long forgotten. Val's body became heavier as Ana's legs grew weak, causing her to stop at some point. She was closer to the bottom of the mountain now, underneath a thick patch of trees. She sighed and slumped down one of them, Val beside her. Looking up, she saw streaks of light cut through the holes in the patch. They illuminated a soft spot in the ground. Ana was tempted to leave it be, but she wouldn't know where else to take her lover. Ana stood up and took out one of Val's tools from his pack.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, stroking the side of his cold face. His lips were an odd blue and his eyes were closed. Ana looked away, not wishing to stare at him any longer. She went to the spot and begun to dig. She was able to make a four foot hole big enough for him, but the day had grown dark. She set off a candlelight spell to illuminate the are before continuing. Ana reached out of the hole and grabbed onto Valmorren's legs, pulling him closer. She was careful not to drop him as she lowered him down to the bottom. She slid off his pack and rached in for his journal. She stared at the tattered book for a few moments, her heart swelling, before placing it in Valmorren's hands. She tossed the pack out of the hole and got out herself. As she stood above him, her heart ached. She took a deep breath and finished the burial. Once she was done, her candlelight spell wore off, the darkness consuming her.

Ana sat down, using a flame spell to act as a candle. She wasn't religious, but she began to pray. Mara was her main focus due to their union. She hoped he would be in peace in whatever afterlife truly existed. She put out the light and sat in silence, taking in all the noise. The forest was quiet as if the wildlife itself were giving a moment of silence. Ana felt her eyelid become heavy. All the pain and excitement from before finally caught up with her and began to take a toll. She set her back and Val's pack down, using them as pillows. Soon, sleep had consumed her and her empty thoughts.

.

Ana awoke to something sniffing her face. She opened her eyes and realized a muzzle and teeth were in front of her as well as a nose-twitching wildly. She soon noticed the rest of the face and her eyes widened. A large wolf stood in front of her, his brethren surrounding her. As soon as the wolf noticed she was awake, it backed away, taking a cautious stance. Ana sat up, which caused the pack to growl. Ana reached into one of the packs she had used as pillows and found some of the food she and Val had left. She tossed it away from them, making all of the wolves chase after it. Ana took her packs and snuck away. She found a stump where she could lay out her map. In red, she saw a circle that hadn't been X'ed yet.

"That's the ruin here…" Ana whispered to herself. She made a route for Rorikstead since it was close by. She could gather her thought safely there. Also, she hadn't seen many of her friends in awhile since she and Val had been adventuring. She remembered back to when she first introduced everyone to him.

 _Ana and Valmorren entered Rorikstead, Val's eyes wide with anticipation. Ana adjusted her pack and looked around, waving at the passers-by. She took Valmorren to the inn and went up to the counter._

" _Rooms are forty gold due to the civil war worsening and any food will up the price if you wish to stay the night," Mralki said without looking up. He was cleaning off the counter and grumbling himself. It seemed he had memorized those words due to repetition towards strangers. Ana giggled and leaned against the counter._

" _How much for a hello from an old friend, Mralki?" Ana asked. Mralki paused and looked up, his face brightening once he realized who she was._

" _Ana! How are you? You look different somehow, but I could recognize those eyes anywhere," Mralki said joyously, walking around the counter to give her a hug. He looked up and noticed Valmorren. Val waved kindly at him and said his own "hello". Mralki pulled away from Ana, giving her a questioning look. "And who have you got with you?"_

" _Mralki, this is my husband, Valmorren," Ana introduced._

" _But you can call me Val. Pleasure to meet you. Ana speaks of this place like it's her home," Valmorren said. Mralki shook his hand firmly._

" _My… married! Congrats to you both. I would say a friend of Ana's is a friend of mine, but you're a bit more than that, aren't you?" Mralki joked, making the couple laugh._

" _So, where is Erik? Has he been adventuring much?" Ana asked._

" _Ah, yes! He has brought us so many trinkets from his voyages. He left a couple nights ago actually. Speaking of adventure, you two look like quite the adventurers yourselves," Mralki said. Ana nodded._

" _I wanted to show Val my family here in Skyrim on our way to a ruin. I brought these for you as well," Ana said, putting three sapphires down on the counter. Mralki's eyes widened and he let out a breathless laugh._

" _Oh, Gods bless your heart," he said as he gave her another hug, "Oh if only Erik's mother were alive… She would be proud of both you and Erik."_

" _Thank you, Mralki," Ana said with a smile._

" _Anyways! You guys are just stopping by, correct? Why not stay the night? Everything's on the house for the both of you. It's nice to have another friendly face join us," Mralki encouraged. Val nodded happily._

" _That sounds great! You wouldn't mind putting our adventuring to the side for one night, would you, Ana?" Val asked. Ana laughed and turned to him._

" _Of course not. I'll show you around town before dinner," Ana said._

" _Great! I hope you enjoy your stay, Valmorren," Mralki said before pocketing the sapphires and letting them explore the small, curious town of Rorikstead._

Ana sighed, her legs and her heart heavy as she made her way to the first home she'd truly known.

.

Upon entering Rorikstead, the bright and happy people seemed to dim in her eyes. They whispered in panicked voices between each other, none of them noticing the Altmer walking by. Ana's legs moved on their own, making their way to the inn like she usually would upon entering town. She entered the building, greeted with a somber song the Bard had been singing and more whispers. She noticed a familiar face in the corner watching the Bard. Erik sat there with as much eagerness as he did when they first met one another. Their eyes met soon enough as Ana realized she was staring. Erik hopped up and immediately went over to her.

"Ana! How are you? It's been forever it seems!" he exclaimed, causing everyone's attention to turn towards them, the citizens giving her warm greetings themselves. Mralki looked up from the counter and walked over to them after dealing with a customer. He noticed her dull look and began to feel concern.

"Are you alright, friend? Come, sit," he urged, leading her to a seat. Ana managed a small smile, truly happy to see them, but her thoughts were dampening the reunion. Mralki and Erik looked at her in worry, waiting for her answer. Ana mumbled underneath her breath, causing Mralki to urge her in speaking up. Ana took a deep breath, a new wave of tears threatening to pour out.

"Valmorren…" she began, a knot clogging up her throat, "...is dead."

Erik and Mralki looked at her with surprise just before sadness swept over them.

"How… How did it happen?" Erik asked. Ana thought of answer. She was just as confused as anyone else would be. The large creature that had attacked was one from fables she'd read in storybooks.

"It… It was a dragon," Ana said, but sounded unsure of it herself.

"Dragons? You mean…" Erik began, but stopped as he gave Mralki a look of shock.

"The rumors are true, then," Mralki said, sighing. He stood up. "There has been talk that dragons have returned. I can only imagine what… what damage had been done to him. I'm very sorry, Ana."

With that, Ana couldn't stop the tears. She began to sob into her hands, warm tears dampening her palms and face. Erik wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. The room grew silent aside from the sound of sobs. Mralki had one of the women get her something to drink as another person went to make her something to eat for her journey. The rest of the night was a blur to her until she fell onto her bed, letting herself escape from reality for the night.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The next day, Ana wakes due to commotion. People outside her door are worriedly talking over each other, Mralki trying to calm them. Ana dresses herself and steps out, walking over to Erik, who was staying away from the crowd that had somehow formed at the entrance of the inn. She stood next to him, leaning in so he could hear her question.

"By the Divines, what is going on?" she asked, concerned. Mralki looked stressed and she couldn't make out what anyone was saying because of the commotion.

"People are wanting shelter. This dragon crisis is only getting worse, Ana. A large black one just flew by, speaking words no one could understand except this one woman passing through. The ground has been shaking every once in awhile. No one knows exactly what is going on," Erik explained. Ana gulped, her heart sinking. She decided to go see what was going on outside, Erik trying to stop her. Erik grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Gods, Erik!" Ana exclaimed as he grabbed her. Erik narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

"You don't want to go out there, Ana. That woman who could understand what that… that _thing_ was saying, she is warning us to stay inside," he told her just before the ground shook again- worse than before. Ana removed her arm from Erik's grasp and shakily made her way over to the door. When she opened it, a Nord woman with short black hair stood in the middle of the road… shouting? And not the usual "yelling-at-someone" type. Ana fell to the floor as the woman shouted upward again. Ana heard a loud roar emit from an unknown source above. Ana felt fear grasp her chest as the beast landed- it and the woman getting into a fairly heated fight filled with shouts and fire. Ana watched as teeth met sword and claw met armor. Guards around them tried to help, the civilians terrified of going out.

Ana frowned and got up, pulling her sword out. As she began to run out and help slay the beast, Erik finally came outside and shouted at her to stop. He felt guilty for being such a coward at this time- and he wanted to be an adventurer! He pulled his own blade out, hoping to kill the beast before it killed anyone else.

The woman who was originally fighting the dragon noticed them and tried to urge them away. She's already encountered these terrible things and didn't want anymore bloodshed because of them. She sighed irritably as they ignored her pleas and continued to fight. Trying to focus on both of the other two and the dragon at the same time proved to be quite challenging with one eye. The dragon itself seemed preoccupied with the other two plunging their blades into its sides. The woman noticed the look in Ana's eyes. They were bloodthirsty and vengeful. The woman took her chance and lifted up her greatsword, bringing it down onto the creature's neck and slicing the head off. Everyone around her stood in silence as the dragon broke apart, a bright orange-yellow-blue glow flowing towards the Nord.

Ana stared in awe at her. She was going to quickly walk over, but Erik stopped her. He looked upset and scared.

"Ana, you could have died!" he exclaimed, his hair a mess. Ana frowned and tried to find words to respond. Erik sighed and hugged her tightly. The woman from before watched them, walking up as Erik let Ana go.

"You, woman," she said, her accent thick. She laid a hand on Ana's shoulder. "Who are you?"

"Oh, u-um… My name is Ana," Ana replied. The woman nodded.

"Neilina. Dragonborn, apparently," Neilina said. She shook Ana's hand. "That look in your eyes when you came to help me… It was from deep down, wasn't it?"

"Huh?" Ana asked, "I-I guess?"

Neilina examined her face, frowning.

"You lost another. I can tell. I'm sorry for your loss," she said, awkward with situations like this. Ana could tell she wasn't well with words. She examined the woman in front of her. Scratch marks lined her arms and legs, a large cut through her eye, the eye itself a milky-white. Her hair was short and slightly uneven, the raven color matching the woman's dark eye. Her complexion was pale, her face seemingly like stone. Pity was the first emotion Ana could read in the woman's good eye. Ana rummaged through her thoughts to find something to say.

"Thank you," is all she could come up with. Neilina twiddled her fingers, seemingly trying to find a way to continue the conversation. Before she could, however, the citizens of Rorikstead had broken out of their shocked state and rushed over to Neilina, showering her in praise and thanks. Ana was led away from the large crowd by Erik. He looked upset and shaken- and for good reason. Ana felt a twinge of guilt for endangering him because of her decisions. Erik's arms were shaking as were his legs. Ana helped him sit down, soon being engulfed in a hug.

"I helped battle a dragon," he said, trying to view the positive. Ana hugged back, nodding her head.

"See..? I-It's okay," she said. Erik pulled away and looked her in the eyes.

"Why'd you run out like that?" he asked.

"I… I'm not sure," Ana said, "I felt so much _anger_ when I saw that… that _thing_. I felt like I needed to help."

"Because of Val," Erik said. Ana nodded, looking down. Her heart filled up with grief as she remembered the limp, cold feeling of carrying him. Erik frowned and hugged her again, trying his best to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Neilina had made her way out of the crowd, wishing to be relieved of the loud noise. She sighed, hating this fate, but knowing it was a blessing to her mentors. She looked around for Ana, wishing to speak with her. The woman intrigued her. She wondered what her drive was- why she chose to stay in such a rugged and ripped nation. She looked over towards the two and began to walk over. Erik glanced over at Neilina, having seen her approach out of the corner of his eyes. He broke the embrace and Scooted over for Neilina to sit, but she chose to stand either way. Ana wiped any stray tears from her eyes and looked up at Neilina, a question lingering on her mind.

"I thank you for helping me," Neilina said.

"Of course. Anything for someone destined to kill those things," she said, bitterness on the tip of her tongue for the last word.

"What happened, might I ask?" Neilina asked. Ana hesitated and bit her lip.

"I lost someone dear to me recently because of them," she answered. Neilina nodded, a sad look in her eyes.

"I would offer to take you with me, but I must meet with someone not far from here. I wish you and your friend luck on your travels," Neilina told them.

"Thank you. I might leave myself soon. Enorra is still in Riften," Ana said, now talking to Erik.

"I'll get your things ready for you to leave," he said, leaving them along. Neilina stood silently for a few moments.

"I am sorry for your loss. I hope we can meet again sometime in the future," Neilina said, "It's not often in Skyrim that our kinds can get along."

Ana let out a soft laugh.

"You'd be surprised in this small town," she said, giving her a smile. Neilina smiled back and wished her a final goodbye before leaving. Ana stood up, going inside the Inn to grab her things. Mralki was tying up her satchels together and had someone preparing a meal for her. He looked up and smiled, a sad look in his eyes.

"You be safe out there, girl. Don't another family member dying out there," he told her. Ana's heart throbbed and she hugged him tightly.

"I won't die. We'll see each other at least once after today, okay?" she said, grateful for the man and his family. The air around her was calm- almost peaceful. She will always remember this place as her home. Every misadventure, every downfall- these people were there for her. She went around and said her goodbyes, saving Erik for last. She smiled at him, glad to have him as a brother-figure in her life. They hugged each other tightly, and she wished him well before leaving for Riften.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Ana spent many days and nights making her way to Riften. Some days, she stayed in one spot due to her tiredness. She relished memories of her and Val over the years, her heart yearning for another moment with him. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had made camp a few yards away from a clearing. Her fire had died out after long hours of burning. Ana stood up, looking around. There should be a creek nearby for her to fish. She grabbed her bow and arrows as well as a rope as she headed out to search for some water. Soon enough, she heard running water and the sound of splashing. Tying up one of her arrows, she neared the water. She crouched down and aimed her arrow, carefully studying the water for any movement. With lightspeed reflexes, she let the arrow go just as a fish emerged from the water. She pulled on the rope, bringing the speared animal towards her. She set the fish down on a rock beside her, arrow still piercing it through. She continued this practice two more times over the course of a few hours before heading back to camp. The sun was almost at its peak in the sky, its rays shining down brightly. She bent down, looking at the fire. She added some kindling and blew gently on the still hot embers, attempting to get the fire started up again. She soon had a small piece of wood light up and burn out before her eyes. Sighing, she summoned a flame from her hand, placing it gently on the campfire. The rest of the kindling lit up, causing Ana to pull her hand back before she was burned. She took one fish still on the arrow and held it over the fire, enjoying the smell of water as it evaporates off of the fish.

Once her meal was done, Ana pulled out some bread and cheese from her pack. She ate happily, glad Val had taught her how to fish. When she was done, she used a frostbite spell to freeze her fire, letting the warmth of the sun peeking in through the trees melt the ice. She sighed and stood up, gathering her things to start traveling once more. As she exited the forest and into the clearing she used to find her path, she began to hear shouting. Ana looked towards her right where the noise was coming from. She drew her sword, cautiously making her way over to help whoever was in trouble. She came upon a woman in odd midnight colored armour. She was battling a large bear, her dagger not doing much damage- and the bow that was nearby wouldn't be of any use to the woman pinned underneath such a beast.

Ana set her pack down against a tree before charging in, stabbing the bear's side. The bear roared in anger, but it allowed the woman to get up. The woman scrambled for her bow, taking a ranged stance. She aimed and shot for the bear's eye, blinding it on their side. The bear brought up a claw and swung downward towards Ana. Ana took the bloodied sword out of its side and barely missed the attack. She slashed its face, jumping away afterward. The woman aimed for its heart with a clear shot to its chest. She let the arrow go, the arrow hitting its mark perfectly. The bear roared before falling to the ground. It growled as it slowly died. Ana swung her sword down, cutting off the bear's head. She panted and looked over at the odd woman, who was giving her a look of suspicion and curiosity.

"Are you alright, miss?" Ana asked. The woman snapped out of whatever trance she was in and nodded.

"Y-Yes… I am, thank you," she said before hurrying to gather her things. Ana noticed her eyes and the odd pink-purple color they had.

"Your eyes… They're very pretty," Ana said. The woman looked up at her, giving Ana a clear view of the top half of her face. She was a Dunmer assuming by her grey-blue skin tone, but her eyes weren't the usual crimson color one would usually see.

"Th...Thank you?" the woman asked, having never been complimented about her eyes other than another person, whom is long gone by this day and age. Ana felt intrigued by the woman. Her eyes, her armour, the mysterious aura she held with her. As she tried to leave, Ana set a hand on her shoulder. Fear flashed in the woman's eyes as if to ask " _Have I been caught?"_. Ana wondered what it could mean, but she shook it off for a moment. Ana was tempted to ask her a question, but decided against it.

"Be safe," Ana said. The woman nodded and rushed off, her figure disappearing even in daylight. Ana grabbed her pack and glanced back at the bear. She took out a dagger from her pack and proceeded to skin the large animal, knowing its fur could get her a good price. When she was done, she did her best to roll up the fur and tie it firmly to her pack. She gathered her things, taking in a deep breath, and headed out to Riften once more.

. . .

Ana entered the gates of Riften as it neared dusk, the sky glittering with the stars above. She made her way to Honeyside, the house she and Valmorren owned all these years. They shared it with Enorra when she wasn't staying at the temple or spreading the word of Mara to nearby settlements. She opened the door, a small fire crackling in the fireplace. Enorra was asleep in a chair nearby with a book laying open on her lap. Ana smiled lightly as her sleeping sister and quietly made her way to the next room. As she set her pack down, she kicked her shoes off and laid down on her bed. She curled up in her blankets, falling asleep quickly. The next morning, she had woken up just as quick- the sleep she had seeming only like a few seconds. She assumed Enorra was awake as she was gone from her spot in the next room. Ana got up and changed into a nicer set of clothes before heading out of the house.

Ana took a deep breath and smiled, the sun shining down onto the bustling town. She walked around, watching the people at work. She assumed her sister was in the temple or on her way out of Riften. A young couple she didn't recognize passed by, bumping into her. The woman turned around, apologizing quickly.

"It's fine," Ana said with a smile. The couple smiled and began to walk off. Something glinted below, catching Ana's eye. She looked down and noticed a necklace with a diamond as the charm and a golden chain. The clasp was loose, which must've caused the necklace to fall off the woman's neck. Ana bent down and picked it up, examining the fine piece of jewelry. She felt the urge to keep it, reminding her of when she was younger and still living in Cyrodiil.

 _Ana raced through the market, her heart pounding. She had been loitering around the market, claiming to have been looking around. She had noticed a beautiful bracelet on a young woman's arm and snatched it before she could notice. A guard unfortunately noticed her theft and called out to her, causing her to bolt with her sister running after her. Her younger sister felt terrified of the men shouting at them angrily. Ana had a grin on her face as they ran back home. She slammed the door and locked it as soon as she and Enorra made it inside. Panting, Ana looked around to be sure no one else was home. Molran was always up in his room and their parents were meeting with other royals at the castle. Ana let out a giggle as she pulled out the silver bracelet. It wasn't really anything special, but it glittered like diamonds in the sunlight and made her green eyes seem brighter. Greed was all Enorra could read on her sister's face._

" _Ana! We could have been arrested!" Enorra exclaimed, upset with her. Ana was sixteen at the time and her sister hated how reckless she was._

" _But we weren't! That stupid guard is greedier than I am," Ana said, "Here, you can have it."_

 _She held the beautiful bracelet out to Enorra, who was tempted to take the gift but refused. She frowned at her sister and crossed her arms._

" _You could have gotten us in huge trouble," she said. Ana's grin faded and she sighed. She pocketed the bracelet and hugged her sister tightly._

" _If it upsets you that much, I won't take you with me," Ana said softly. Enorra shook her head and pushed her away._

" _You won't do it at all anymore," she said sternly. Ana opened her mouth, unable to say anything. She always had urges to take things either to keep or make profit off of it. She took the bracelet back out of her pocket, not knowing how her sister couldn't see the value of it in her own eyes. She struggled to decide. Looking back at her sister's face, her heart throbbed. She let out a defeated sigh and set the bracelet down away from her._

" _Fine," she said._

" _Promise?" Enorra asked. Ana looked her in the eyes, unsure of whether or not she would keep the promise in the future. She bit her lip and twiddled her fingers._

" _I-I don't know… I'll try, Enorra," Ana said. Enora frowned, but knew somehow this was the only answer she'd get for now. Her sister had started such habits a couple years ago, and it had proven to be very troublesome for their parents. It was a bad habit they couldn't explain away for much longer. She hugged her elder sister, hoping she could drop it for good._

Ana stared at the necklace, her urges coming back. She was tempted to take it, but remembered what Enorra asked her to do. She never actually promised her she'd stop. Ana and Valmorren had been taking things from tombs and ruins for themselves, which was similar to what she felt like doing only the people who used to own the artifacts were dead. Before anyone could see her just crouching there, she swiped the necklace and put it in a small pocket on her shirt. She continued on, feeling the small rush of adrenaline after getting away with taking something. She had missed the feeling. The high of excitement she had felt when she was much younger came rushing back. Maybe she could do this in moderation. She had grown up and matured in skills, so it would be less likely for her to be caught taking things.

"Ana?" a familiar voice asked behind her. Ana jumped and spun around, noticing her sister with her crossed arms behind her. Her eyes narrowed and she walked up to her elder sister. "Did you just do what I think you did?"

Her voice was quieter, her eyes darting around to be sure no one saw them. She looked Ana dead in the eyes, not allowing her to move away.

"I…" Ana began, unable to say anything. Enorra frowned and sighed.

"Come on. Into the house," Enorra said, ushering her back inside. She shut the door behind them. "I thought you were going to stop a long time ago."

"It was just once, Enorra," Ana said, trying to defend herself.

"Once is enough to get you arrested. I know this is Riften, but still," Enorra said, turning back towards her sister, "I know the Thieves Guild is rumored to reside under this hellhole of a town, but that's what I try to prevent. Crime and hatred runs rampant in this town, Ana. It just makes it harder for me to try and have people _care_."

Ana felt guilt bubble up inside her. She sighed and sat down, thinking over something.

"And if I continue? If I'm able to join this guild?" Ana asked. Enorra was shocked by the question. She struggled to find words, an indescribable anger flashing in her eyes before being doused out in tiredness.

"Then you better not get yourself caught. I'd… be surprised if you made it in, but you do have skills they look for I suppose," Enorra said, sighing, "Anyways… despite this. What have you been up to lately? And where's Val?"

Ana gulped, nearly choking on her own saliva. She coughed, holding her chest. Enorra's eyes went wide, and she rushed over to aid her sister. As soon as Ana calmed her coughing down, she sadly looked at her sister.

"Valmorren… is dead, Enorra," Ana said. Enorra's eyes widened. She sat down herself, pulling a chair close to Ana. She urged Ana to catch her up on what had happened. Ana told her a shortened version that put both of them on the verge of tears.

"Ana… I-I'm so sorry. That would explain why old habits could be emerging," Enorra said softly, "Now it makes my news sound horrible."

Ana looked at her sister with an odd look. She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"What news, Enorra?" Ana asked.

"W-Well… we have a new priest who came here all the way from Valenwood a month or two ago. You and Valmorren were gone at the time," Enorra began, "He's very kind, and his voice is quiet when he speaks. He may be shorter than I am, but he's quite tall for being a Bosmer."

"So you've fallen for him, I assume?" Ana asked, smiling slightly. Enorra blushed a deep red and nodded. Ana placed her hands on Enorra's. "I'm happy for you, Enorra. No matter what has happened recently, okay?"

"And I'm happy for whatever makes you happy, Ana. I just don't want to lose another sibling due to poor choices," Enorra said, giving her a guilty look. Ana nodded and stroked her cheek, wiping away a tear that slid down her face.

"Even if I make poor choices… You have done so much in this life, Enorra," she began, giving her a kind smile, "And I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Ana," Enorra whispered, her voice cracking. More tears fell from her eyes and she hugged her sister tightly. Ana returned the hug, taking the necklace out of her pocket. Enorra glanced down at it, taken back by its beauty. Ana slid the charm off of its chain and put the diamond in her hand.

"I know you didn't accept many of these gifts from me when we were younger, but keep the gem. It's yours," Ana said, a mischievous smile creeping in on her face, "I won't get caught this time. Even if I do, I'll find a way to escape."

Enorra looked doubtful, but she let her sister make her own decisions. She rested her head on her sister's shoulder, sighing.

"Promise..?" she asked quietly. Ana smiled, resting her head on Enorra's.

"Promise."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Over the course of the next week, Ana continued to swipe things from people either to sell to another merchant or to make a profit by sending someone else to jail. She enjoyed going out at dawn or closer to dusk in order to hide herself more. She had been getting bigger lately for some reason, which made it difficult to move around as much. She had gotten carried away with one particular person in Riften who had arrived only days ago with gold almost lining his clothes. Ana grinned as she crept up to him once more, trying not to spook the suspicious man. He had been talking with the guards more often about his missing things and had been on guard. What could it hurt to take just one thing mo-?

"Stop right there!" a guard shouted as he rounded the corner of the market. Ana gasped and bolted away with a jewel in hand. It wasn't a valuable jewel, but it was what she could grab quickly in order to escape. She heard a pair of footsteps chasing after her. She rushed by a man with near shoulder length brown hair and a goatee. He stayed in the dark, but she could feel his eyes watching her and the guards closely. Ana attempted to jump over a fence, but felt a sharp pain in her stomach, faltering her. The guard behind her finally caught up, slightly out of breath.

"You have violated the laws of Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defense?" he asked harshly. Ana held her stomach and looked up at him, defeated. She couldn't get any words out to defend herself, so he assumed she would say nothing.

"No words? That's fine. You're coming with me. Your stolen goods will be confiscated and you'll either pay the fine or end up in jail- whichever you can choose," he said, taking her away. The eyes in the shadows continued to follow them until they disappeared towards the barracks. Ana scolded herself for getting caught, wondering what could have caused her pain. Maybe a pulled muscle? Either way, she slipped up and may just have to stay in a cell because of it. Over the course of half an hour, Ana was searched, stripped, and thrown into a cell with prisoner's clothing. She sighed, glad that the prisons in Skyrim weren't as bad as the ones she had been in before. As she sat down, taking in a breath, she noticed a small piece of metal glinting as the flame from the torch lighting up the area danced around the room. She went over to it, realizing it was a lockpick. Oh, how luck smiled on her situation. She snatched it up, glancing around to be sure no one was coming. A guard walked by with a torch in hand. Ana quickly hid the lockpick under the bedroll nearby, acting as if she were bored. He scoffed and looked over at her.

"Bored? Upset? Serves you right, pickpocket," he said with a laugh. She scowled and sent a glare his way. "Ooh, so scary.~ Face it, you're stuck in her for now."

Ana sighed, knowing he was right. She only had one lockpick and if it were to break, she would be stuck. The guard just shook his head and walked off, the extra light from his torch disappearing down the hallway. As soon as she was was positive he disappeared, she grabbed the lockpick and examined it carefully. It wasn't fragile, but if she wasn't careful it could easily snap. She stared at it for a few moments despite the fact she had to work quickly in order to get out of there. She felt anger at herself for been caught and even more at the guards for catching her. For a split second, her mind remembered Enorra. She cringed, knowing once her sister found out, she would be scolded. It was ironic how much of a mother Enorra acted like whenever it came to this. Ana had to admit, her sister matured and became a respectable woman over the past few years. She let herself smile until she heard footsteps again. She hid the lockpick once more, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall. The footsteps stopped at her cell door, a man clearing his throat. She looked up to see him holding a bowl of food. He opened the door and slammed it onto the floor before locking the door and leaving. Ana stared down at the food given to her, cringing at how gross it seemed. She cautiously picked up her spoon and got some of the brothy, chunky liquid into it. She lifted it up to her nose and tasted it. She gagged and spit the slop out, dropping the spoon.

"Yuck…" Ana whispered to herself. Not only was it mostly bland, but it was rotten as well. What a way to serve someone, right? Ana grabbed the lockpick, determined to get out as quickly as possible. There were two guards currently on duty, on patrolling and the other most likely standing guard of the door. She began working on the lock carefully, not wanting to break the pick. After a few moments, she heard two or three clicks before the door creaked open. Ana grinned victoriously as she snuck out of her jail cell. She kept her breathing slow and steady and made sure she stayed in the shadows. Her footsteps were light and patient. She kept herself on guard, dead set on not getting caught for a second time. She didn't want that bastard of a guard to find her hiding spot with his torch, so she moved as quickly as possible. She slunk through each room, barely making it through the last two due to guards standing around for copious amounts of time. She knew she shouldn't have only assumed there were two. She eventually came across a chest with her and other prisoners' things inside. She grabbed her things as well as a nice weapon from another person in the chest. After she had gotten what she needed- and wanted- she made her way over to the exit. As she had predicted, a guard stood there on guard. He sat quietly in the chair, slouching. Ana could hear his even breaths as he snored quietly. She snorted, amused by the guard who wasn't even doing his job. He twitched a the noise, causing Ana to cover her mouth and nose quickly.

Ana scolded herself silently as she very carefully made her way towards the door. She wiggled the doorknob, realizing it was locked. She sighed and looked over at the keys on the guard's belt. She reached over, slowly taking them off to unlock it. As she placed a key inside the keyhole, far away footsteps could be heard. Ana felt fear rush through her as she tried each key to no avail. The footsteps neared their location as she finally made it out, the door shutting behind her. Ana took the keys and rushed away from the barracks. She hid behind a few houses and changed into her regular armour. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the other things she had and double-checked to make sure she grabbed everything.

"Managed to escape those guards, eh?" a male voice asked from the dark, causing Ana to pivot on the balls of her feet as she held out the weapon she stole in defense. A chuckled came from the darkness as the man she rushed by a while ago showed himself. He wore armour that matched the woman she had helped around a week ago. She wondered if that is why he approached her now. His eyes looked at her stolen weapon with an amused grin. "Even when captured, you still manage to sneak something out, I see."

Ana glanced at the sharp war axe in her hand. It was nice with engravings decorating the handle as well as the blade. It felt old- as if it had seen many battles- but looked good as new. She lowered it a little, still keeping her guard up.

"Who are you?" she asked. The man looked up and into her eyes.

"My name is Brynjolf. I've been watching you for awhile ever since you picked up that necklace the woman dropped days ago," he said, causing Ana's eyes to go wide, "I'm the leader of a guild that resides underneath Riften. I think you've got what it takes."

"The Thieves Guild, correct?" Ana asked. Brynjolf nodded. "How did you know I-"

"How did I know you picked up that necklace before your sister rushed you back inside? Some secrets I keep to myself, friend," he said with a sly smirk, "Either way, I wanted to offer you a spot in our ranks of the guild. What do you say?"

Ana's eyes were wide and she didn't know what to say. She never thought a member of the guild would come to recruit her- let alone the guild master. She would be able to make more money from joining this guild instead of finding what she could and bargaining for a high price she could sell it for. Brynjolf waited for her answer patiently, arms behind his back as he examined her facial expression. Ana looked back up at him, making her decision. Enorra wasn't going to approve, but oh well. Ana smiled and held her hand out towards Brynjolf, causing him to lift an eyebrow.

"I'll join," she said, "When would I start?"

"That's the spirit," Brynjolf chuckled as he shook her hand, "Follow me."

Ana followed him as he led her out of the area and down a set of stairs leading to the lower half of Riften. The water made the area foggy and moist, a slightly sour stench filling the air. The two walked along a wooden dock towards a gated door. Brynjolf opened it and led her into a sewer-like area. He hushed her and crouched down, carefully walking past sleeping bandits. He looked back at Ana, who was sneaking carefully just as he was but a bit slower. He made it towards the door quickly and continued onward, letting Ana follow at her pace. Ana hurried herself down the hall behind him. They both snuck through the ratway to a center room with many doors. The light inside was bright, illuminating a table cluttered with stuff. A bandit sat in a chair, watching for any trespassers. Brynjolf motioned for her to stay as he went up to the bandit, knocking him out cold. He stood up straight and gestured for her to follow him through a door across from the entrance they came in through. Ana stood up and followed him, recognizing the area finally. She and Valmorren had gone here years ago to change their appearances. They walked into the Ragged Flagon, Brynjolf taking in a deep, happy sigh.

"Welcome, home," he said with a joking smile, "Go ahead, get yourself acquainted. If you'd like, I can take care of that bounty for you. Bringing back an old thing the guild used to do years ago."

"Oh, um… sure. Thank you," Ana said with a smile. Brynjolf nodded and patted her shoulder.

"Welcome to the Thieves Guild."


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Ana walked past him, looking around and recognizing everything. She looked over to her left, trying to spot a certain woman. She noticed the familiar face changer still in the same spot she usually was. Ana smiled and walked over, the woman soon looking up at her, eyes squinted to try and recognize her. Ana waved with a smile as she approached.

"Hello," Ana said, sitting next to her.

"Are you here for my services?" she asked. Ana shook her head. "Then why do you sit here?"

"It has been years, hasn't it? You helped my husband and I, remember?" Ana asked. The Bosmer continued to closely examine her facial features before smiling.

"Ah, yes! I recognize my handiwork. You were with that taller man in ebony armour and another young girl who preaches for Mara above here," the woman said.

"Yes! My sister stayed behind while my husband and I ventured out into the unknown," Ana said. The woman nodded.

"It's a pleasure to see my clients awhile after they required my help. How is your little family now?" the woman asked.

"Ah, my sister is still a priestess. My husband, on the other hand…" Ana trailed off.

"I see," the woman said, seeing the picture somewhat, "Well, I give you my condolences. What brings you back anyways? Surely it isn't just to stop by."

"Actually, I remembered you were here, so I decided to say hello," Ana said, "But, you're right. It isn't my only reason."

The woman quirked an eyebrow. She had a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms.

"I'm assuming you hadn't come in here with the guildmaster for no reason, yes?" she asked. Ana let out a small giggle.

"Yes. I'm joining their ranks," Ana said, smiling. The woman tilted her head.

"Huh, I never expected you to be a sneaky type, but that doesn't matter. My services are open to everyone- especially the guild that resides down here. I suggest you go around and get to know everyone a little better. My name, for instance, is Galathil," she said, holding her hand out. Ana shook it firmly.

"Ana… and I guess I should start introducing myself, right?"

"To everyone else, yes. If you ever need me, Ana, I'm here as always," Galathil said, letting her go. Ana stood up and noticed there were eyes on her all around. Brynjolf had made his way over to the bar. He glanced over his shoulder at her and waved slightly before returning to his drink. As Ana stepped away from the bench she was sitting on, a Redguard woman approached her, looking her up and down.

" _You're_ the new recruit? I hope Brynjolf knows what he's doing," she said, looking her in the eyes, "I'm surprised Dirge didn't rough you up yet. Either way, I'm Tonalia, the guild's fence. Anything that you want sold that isn't… particularly _yours_ , you can sell to me."

"Oh, um… Hello," Ana greeted, "I'm-"

"Ana, I heard. Go introduce yourself to Vex and Delvin over there and talk to Brynjolf. Your initiation isn't finished yet," Tonalia said, waving her away. Ana looked over at the two Tonalia pointed towards, both of them arguing over something. Ana approached the two, unable to hear some of their conversation since they both stopped as soon as she had been noticed. The man she assumed was Delvin sat back, slouching in his chair with his arms crossed and legs up on the table. Vex crossed her own arms and leaned against a few crates behind her. They both gave her questioning looks.

"Who might you be?" Vex asked.

"New meat, perhaps?" Delvin asked. Ana stared at the two of them, unsure how to begin her introduction. Delvin's stone-like expression turned into a goofy grin. "Ah, I'm just playin' 'round with you. We aren't deaf."

"Well, one of us isn't as least," Vex mumbled.

"I can hear you even if you mumble, little Vexy," Delvin teased. Vex glared at him, growling in annoyance.

"Anyways," Vex snapped, turning her attention away from delvin, "You're the new recruit Brynjolf's been watching, right?"

"U-Uh, yes," Ana finally spoke, "I'm Ana."

"Ana. What a pretty name. Much better than Vex over here," Delvin commented.

"Delvin, if you don't shut your trap right now, I will jam it shut. Understood?" Vex snarked.

"Whatever you say, Vexy," Delvin said with a mischievous smile. Vex grumbled and grabbed a plate off the table. She was about ready to beat him to death with it when Brynjolf hooped down from his seat and came over to interrupt the situation before it got any worse.

"Now, Vex. What did we talk about?" he asked, causing Vex to lower the plate, "And Delvin, don't be so stupid."

Delvin just let out a laugh and set his legs back on the floor. He rested his head on his fist and leaned against the table.

"So, Brynjolf. This is the newbie, huh?" Delvin asked.

"Yep. I think she's got what it takes to join us. I'll leave your own judgements up to yourselves," he said, "For now, however, I'd like to speak with her myself."

He took Ana to the side and glanced one last time at the two, shaking his head and chuckling. Looking back at Ana, he gave her a smile.

"Those two sure are something, aren't they?"

"I-I guess?" Ana asked, not sure how to answer. Brynjolf just laughed.

"Ah, no worries. You'll get to know everyone soon enough. Now, I assume you think you're in and good to go, right?" Brynjolf asked, "Because before you even start to think of getting jobs from our senior members such as Vex or Delvin- you have to finish one from me. To prove yourself, y'know?"

Ana figured they would have something else for her. One last test to see how she fared within the guild. She puffed up her chest and stood up straight, trying to look confident in herself.

"Whatever you've got for me, I can do it," she said, sounding a little cocky. Brynjolf chuckled.

"Oh really? Well, don't get too cocky with us- especially if you fail this," he said, crossing his arms, "I will admit though, you've got spirit, and that's good. You ready to hear the job?"

Ana nodded.

"Good. Now, what you have to do is get two things for me. The first and most important thing is a diary. The second is a Dibellan statue with the letter 'H' on the bottom. These objects can be found in Haelga's Bunkhouse. She's a stubborn woman who needs be taught not to mess with our guild," Brynjolf explained, "The statue is easily found on a shelf somewhere downstairs. The diary, however, is found in her room I assume. I don't know exactly where the woman would keep it, but that's your job to find out. Any questions?"

"When would be the best time to go and retrieve these items?" Ana asked.

"I'd suggest between eight o'clock at night to twelve in the morning. She goes to the Bee and Barb and returns home drunk or with someone- sometimes even both," Brynjolf answered.

"Alright. I'll be back with them in no time," Ana said smiling. Brynjolf playfully hit her shoulder.

"Good luck," he said before turning around and going over to Delvin and Vex. Ana checked the time by glancing at a candle on the counter. It was fully melted, but still burning. With how the candle looked, she guessed it was somewhere around nine in the evening. Ana turned on her heel and began making her way back to Riften, determined to get the job done. It was still late out, but even so she had to be careful. The guards probably would have noticed her escape by now. She ducked down as she reached the top of the stairs, glad the bunkhouse was right next to them. She tried the doorknob, feeling the door click and open. Ana snuck inside, the lights low. She crept inside, the floors creaking only slightly. She glanced around the room, first looking for the Dibella statue. She went over to the counter, looking over it to see what was on this side. The door behind it was most likely Haelga's bedroom, which was where Ana planned to go to next. She looked behind her, noticing a gold and white statue hidden away in the dark, its bright colors popping out. Ana quickly made her way over to the statue sitting nicely on a shelf. She picked it up and examined it, a large, elegantly written "H" on the bottom. Ana grinned and took the statue with her as she made her way back over to the bedroom. The door was unlocked, but something blocked it, proving it hard to open. Ana pressed her body weight against it, finding it was a pile of clothes. She noticed two bodies asleep on the bed. She blushed deeply before glancing away.

"Brynjolf, you never told me about this part," Ana whispered, flustered by the scene. Either way, Ana continued into the room, making sure not to make too much noise. She searched the shelves before moving onto the nightstand next to the bed. Upon trying to open it, she realized it was locked. She noticed a key peeking out from under the bed and grabbed it before trying it on the drawer. It fit perfectly and made a small _click_ as the drawer opened. A roughed up journal lay inside, Ana swiping it quickly. She re-locked the drawer and hurried out, closing the door behind her. With the statue and the journal, she made her way back down to the rataway. She hurried through, not wanting to be detected by the bandits residing there. She found her way back to the Ragged Flagon, finally standing up. She had put the journal under her arm and latched the statue to her belt while she went back to the band of thieves awaiting her return. Brynjolf looked up as he heard her footsteps- and the clunking of metal against metal due to the statue. He smiled and stood up, walking over to her.

"Took you- what? An hour or so?" he asked, "Not bad."

Ana smiled and handed the items over to him. He examined them both, making sure they were the right things. He flipped through the journal, noticing the erotic entries made by the woman herself before quickly shutting it.

"These are the right items. They'll be a great advantage for us," he said with a grin.

"So, I'm in?" Ana asked, her heart hopeful. She felt almost as excited as she she did when she was a young girl.

"Of course! Follow me, recruit," he said, motioning for her to follow him. He handed the items over to Vex, whispering something into her ear. Vex nodded and took the items. Brynjolf continued onward, leading her to a cupboard. He opened it up to a blank wall. Ana was confused for a moment until he tapped a certain spot on the door twice, causing the back wall to move over to the side. It led into a small room with a door at the end. He was sure the cupboard was back to normal before leading her through the door. The door took them to a Cistern of sorts with many more people walking about, talking, training, etc.

"This is where many of us reside. Since it's late, I'll let you rest and get to know everyone as you please," Brynjolf said, letting her go, "We don't have many rules here, but the ones we do have a surefire way of getting you kicked out if broken."

"Okay," Ana said, "What are they?"

"First off, we aren't the Dark Brotherhood. We leave the killing part to them. Secondly, we may be a band of thieves, but there will be _no_ theft between our guild members. You break either of these rules, and you're out. Understood?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.

"Understood," Ana said, nodding.

"Alright, well, I'll let you go about your own business. I'm excited to see what sort of things you have in store for us," Brynjolf said, "Ah, and this is yours."

He handed her a set of armour that matched everyone else's in the room. After handing it to her, he started walking past her, patting her shoulder as he did. He left her on her own. Ana looked around, soon noticing a statue of a very attractive woman. She soon realized it was a shrine, the symbol below matching the symbol on the armour Brynjolf and the other woman she'd met wore. She began to wonder what the symbol could mean, but one thing was obvious- it was highly important to the guild. She made her way around the circular room, introducing herself to those who seemed approachable (or had stopped her to see if she was really worthy enough to be here). One of the men in the guild had approached her as she made her way around to the last bit of the room. He was an Imperial man with long brown hair and a bit of stubble on his cheeks and chin. He gave her a friendly smile, holding a hand out. Ana stopped and stared at him for a moment, confused.

"Welcome to the guild," he said as Ana shook his hand, "My name is Rune."

"Rune?" Ana asked, "That's an odd name, but it fits for this guild I guess."

"I get that a lot," Rune said, chuckling. He dropped his hand from hers. "Anything you need help with?"

"Erm… introducing myself to everyone?" Ana asked. Rune laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He began walking with her, arm still lying comfortably on her shoulders.

"No worries. In time, most of them will warm up to you. If you aren't able to know their names at least after a month of being here, then I can help you," he said. Ana nodded thinking to herself for a moment.

"So, how did you get your name?" Ana asked.

"Hm? Oh, the name 'Rune'. To be honest, it's because of how I was found," he began, "I had washed up on the shores of Solitude and was found by a fisherman. I had a rune in my hand and no memory of my past. Guess the name kind of stuck."

"Do you know what the rune means?" Ana asked. Rune shook his head.

"Not at all. I've even went to the College of Winterhold. Not even they know," he said, stopping in place, "I've spent almost all the coin I've earned here to try and find my parents or at least a sliver of what I never remembered."

"Oh, um…" Ana said, not sure how to respond, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Best to keep my hopes up a little bit just in case, right? No use in having it drag me down," he said, removing his arm from her shoulders to playfully jab her with his elbow. Ana laughed lightly.

"That's a good point," Ana said, smiling, "Anyways, I'll finish up my introductions before heading back to my house to sleep. I live here in Riften."

"Oh really? If you'd like, I can help you with the rest of the introductions," he said, wishing for her to stay. Ana chuckled and shook her head.

"I think I'll be fine for tonight, but thank you," she said before finishing up introductions. Before she left, Rune called out to her, leading her towards a ladder.

"It's an easier way to get in and out of the cistern without dealing with pesky bandits everytime you come down here. Just be careful. The secret entrance is a little noisy, so I suggest you keep your guard up," he said.

"Oh, okay. Thank you," Ana said, smiling at him. She went up the ladder, Rune watching her leave. She exited the hole the ladder led up to and shut the trapdoor. A staircase led up to seemingly nowhere until she found a chain and pulled it. Soon, the ceiling began to move, making a lot of noise as it did. Ana hurried up the stairs, looking around for a lever pull again to shut the secret entrance. She realized she was in a cemetery behind the Temple of Mara. Ana made her way over to the stone tomb and pressed against the circle in the middle, assuming it was a button. She held onto it tightly as the whole thing began to move and cover the secret entrance. Once it was set, Ana stepped off of it and looked around. She went out towards the stairs leading to the temple. She heard the doors of the temple open.

"Was that you that made all that noise?" a young man asked. Ana spun around to look at him. He was around Enorra's age- a Bosmer. Ana recognized him to be the priest Enorra had talked about over the course of this week. Ana quickly shook her head.

"No, I actually was trying to find out what it was. I was out for a while and wanted to see if my sister was still here, then the noise started," Ana lied. She pat herself on the back mentally for coming up with a good one on the spot. The Bosmer nodded and smiled.

"She was just about to leave, actually. Come in, she'll be glad to see you," he said, gesturing for her to come in. Ana walked up the stairs, not having set foot inside the temple for ages. She started to smell lavender with a mix of vanilla in the air. Candles burned everywhere, illuminating the room and the shrine ahead of her. Maramal, the priest who had wed her and Valmorren, immediately recognized her.

"Ah! It's been so long since you've come here. Ana, was it? Your sister has been an amazing help with the temple," he said, going up to her. Ana smiled brightly at him, good memories flooding her thoughts.

"Thank you. I hope Enorra hasn't been _too_ much trouble for you," she joked, making him laugh.

"Of course not, she's a darling girl. So, where is the love of your life? Is he at home?" he asked her. Ana's face dropped slightly as she tried to find a way to tell him. Enorra, who had been eavesdropping while finishing up her duties, came over to help her out. She whispered something into Maramal's ear, causing him to gasp and nod.

"I understand. My condolences to you, Ana," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort. Enorra looked over at Ana and smiled, soon walking over to hug her.

"What brings you to the temple, Ana?" she asked as she pulled away.

"I came to find if you were still here," Ana said, "I hadn't been home in awhile."

"Well, I've finished cleaning, Father Maramal," Enorra said, looking back at him.

"Alright. Both of you should go home and rest. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Ana."

"The same to you," Ana said with a smile as she and Enorra headed back home. Ana noticed guards had looked the other way as she and her sister passed. She assumed during the time it took for her to get her job done, Brynjolf had paid off the bounty she had for her. The two made their way inside, Enorra shutting the door behind them. She turned around and faced her sister.

"So, what is the real reason you were at the temple?" she asked. Ana let out a soft laugh.

"You're always a clever one, Enorra. I had actually left the main space for the guild I've just joined," she said, proud of herself. Enorra's eyes widened.

"No way. You got in?" she asked. Ana grinned, nodding. Enorra smiled proudly and hugged her. "So, how did you get in?"

"Ah, you'll have to sit down for this one," Ana said, causing Enorra to raise an eyebrow, "I escaped jail and the guild master approached me."

"You _what_?!" Enorra asked, pulling away, "Then why-"

"Why didn't the guards arrest me on our way home?" Ana asked, smirking. Enorra eventually figured it out on her own and let out a breathless laugh.

"Oh my goodness, Ana," she giggled.

"Anyways, how is it so far with you and the Bosmer priest? What even is his name?" Ana asked, pking her sister's stomach playfully. Enorra squeaked and jumped away, covering her torso while giggling.

"His name is Nalthir, and I haven't gotten a response from him yet, actually," Enorra said, remaining defensive in case Ana poked her again.

"A response? For what?" Ana asked, sitting down. She remembered back when Enorra would gush over someone, but never actually gathered up the courage to tell them.

"I asked him if he would like to come with me the next time I venture to Whiterun," Enorra said, "There is a new flower shop there and I want to see if they have any Lover's Lilies from Valenwood."

"And is this how you wish to confess?" Ana asked, her own romantic heart adoring the idea.

"Yes. What do you think of it..?" Enorra asked.

"It's perfect," Ana said with a grin. Enorra smiled brightly, happy she had her sister on board with the idea. "Anyway, we need to head to be, alright? Both of us have big days tomorrow."

Enorra laughed and nodded, going downstairs to her own room while Ana went to her bed and plopped down. She fell asleep quickly, her body finally realizing how tired it was. The next couple months had earned her more of a reputation within the guild, but her stomach had gotten bigger by the day. Ana went to her sister about the issue, not knowing if it was her gaining weight or if it was something else. Enorra knew she was expecting, but wondered how long it would take for Ana to figure it out herself. Now she had her elder sibling coming to her at the temple in a state of worry. Enorra took her aside and encouraged her, telling her it was alright.

"Yes, Ana. You're pregnant. I mean, think about it. The symptoms you're showing at this point follow along exactly with if you had done something with someone a few months back," Enorra said.

"But the only person I have done _anything_ with is Val!" Ana exclaimed in a whisper. Enorra nodded.

"And before he passed, did you two do anything?" Enorra asked, "Didn't you two want to start a family just before things went wrong? Maybe the Divines saw this wish and granted it to you anyways despite your loss, Ana."

Ana paused. She realized what Enorra was saying, the puzzle pieces fitting together as she thought about it more and more. Before she knew it, she had started sobbing- unsure of whether or not it was happy or sad. Nevertheless, Enorra held her sister close, comforting her. At first, Ana felt pain. She wished dearly that Valmorren was still alive to know he was going to become a father. She wanted him to be there with her and help her through this. On the other hand, she was extremely happy. She was going to have a baby, and even though her lover was dead, she was going to tell so many amazing tales to her baby so they growing up knowing their father was a good man. As soon as she had calmed herself down, Ana stood up straight, wiping her eyes.

"Now, since you know…" Enorra began, wiping away another tear that had escaped out onto Ana's cheek, "You go talk to your guild master. I don't know whether or not you'd be able to do you job pregnant."

Ana nodded. She felt happy to have her sister there for her. If only her parents would forgive them or try to be kind enough to come see them without bringing the authorities. Granted, their mother might scream about how she was too young to be a grandmother. She sighed happily and squeezed Enorra's hand gently before going off to tell the guild her news.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Several months passed by while Ana was allowed to stay home until her child was born. The guild members were split between whether or not she should stay because of her pregnancy, but the majority vote was for her to stay. They had agreed she was a good thief that had proven her worth during her time there. Some members still have a grudge against her for leaving the guild for such a long time, but still come over to see how she was handling herself. Rune made many visits to her home in Riften to make sure she was alright, the two getting to know each other better with each passing day. Brynjolf was also one that visited her often, giving her updates on the guild and discussing what will happen once the child is born. He had come over today, knocking on their door three times as usual. Enorra answered the door first as Ana was now far enough along her pregnancy, it had become harder to move easily. Brynjolf was let in, Enorra heading downstairs to let the two discuss whatever it is Brynjolf was here for. He sat down across from her, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

"So, how have you been this week? Any issues?" he asked.

"Not as far as I know. I do have a feeling the child's due soon, however. I look like I'm about to pop from the stomach," she joked, the two of them laughing.

"Now you do know why I came over today, right?" Brynjolf asked.

"To continue our discussion from last week, I assume," Ana said. They had been talking over what Ana would do with the child once it was born. She wished to care for it and raise it on her own, but of course she'd have to return to the guild eventually.

"Correct. I just wanted to know how long we'd have to wait. I know some of us miss you in the cistern," he joked, smiling. Ana thought to herself for a moment. She didn't want to leave her baby alone for the first few years, but she worried it would take too long.

"How long am I able to stay home?" Ana asked. Brynjolf tilted his head.

"How long do you think you'll need?" he asked.

"A few years maybe. As long as it takes for the baby to be okay without me watching over him at all times. I could do small jobs if it's a problem," Ana said. Brynjolf nodded and thought to himself for a few moments, one hand scratching his chin. He looked back up and stood.

"You're able to stay out of duties for two years, but the third is small jobs, alright?" he asked. Ana nodded and smiled. She slowly got up and gave him a sideways hug.

"Thank you, Brynjolf," Ana said.

"No problem, lass," he said, returning the hug, "I'll be back soon to check in on you. Rune might come over later. He's seems to really enjoy your company."

A mischievous look flashed over his face before he left the house. Ana rubbed her stomach and sighed, sitting back down. She grabbed a blanket and began to read while waiting for her sister to return home.

…

Hours had passed before Ana decided to go to the temple of Mara to see her sister. She ended up going into labor soon after arriving, the priests and priestesses rushing to her aid quickly. It took over and hour for Ana to give birth. Pain ran through her veins as if something were infecting her. Sweat had poured down her face along with her tears. Enorra held her hand throughout the whole thing, talking softly to her. Now, Ana lay back, resting. Enorra helped Nalthir take care of the baby while Ana slept. Enorra admired the tiny baby, cradling it gently. Nalthir wrapped an arm around her shoulders, looking down at the tiny Altmer.

"He's cute," Nalthir said softly. Enorra nodded.

"I wonder what Ana will name him," she said, "For now, we have to wait for her to wake up."

Nalthir and Enorra took the child to another room for the rest of the temple to fawn over, leaving Ana to get her energy back. Her breathing was steady as she dreamt. Inside her dreams was the same as usual, a bright green field with someone in the distance. She could never recognize their face, but they seemed like they knew her each time they waved in the distance. However, this dream was slightly different.

 _The figure in the distance waved at her, Ana waving back slowly. It stood there for a few moments before finally moving towards her. Ana didn't know what to expect as the figure walked closer. She quickly brushed herself off, making sure she looked presentable for whomever was approaching. As the face became clearer, her heart flushed with joy. The familiar blonde-ish locks only slightly untamed reaching down the person's back, the striking blue eyes that gave her a calm feeling whenever she peered into them, the strong arms that held her whenever she craved comfort… it was all overwhelming as she felt her feet kick up and race over to the man in front of her. She threw her arms around Valmorren as he stopped to prepare himself for impact. He let out a laugh as she gripped him tightly. Returning her hug, he kissed her forehead._

" _I've missed you, too," he said softly. Upon hearing his calm, careful voice, Ana burst into sobs, her knees growing weak. Valmorren held her up, almost cradling her in his arms like he used to. He wiped away her tears as they leaked out of the green pools he had dearly missed himself._

" _Am I really dreaming?" Ana managed to whisper without her voice cracking. Valmorren chuckled lightly and shook his head._

" _Kinda. I can only see you here," he said. Ana sniffled and held his face, taking in the features she had almost forgotten completely._

" _Have you always been over there?" Ana asked, composing herself. Valmorren nodded slowly._

" _I didn't know when to approach you. I know the things you've been up to. The mumbling you always did wasn't as quiet as you thought," he explained. Ana snorted and playfully pushed against his shoulder. They stood in silence, staring down at each other, Valmorren trying to think of what to say. He stroked her cheek, running a finger against the scarred flesh that had only recently begun to disappear back into its normal state._

" _So, is it true..?" Valmorren suddenly asked. Ana tilted her head._

" _What is true?"_

" _That we have a baby," he said, smiling widely, "We did it, didn't we? Although, I may not be in the picture."_

" _Yes," Ana replied, smiling as Val's face grew brighter, "We have a baby. I don't know what the gender is or what we'll name it, though."_

" _I trust your judgement, Ana. Whatever you name the baby, I'll be happy with," Valmorren said, hugging her tightly. She buried her face in his chest, her heart overwhelmingly joyous. Valmorren held her close, a question itching to be asked in the back of his mind. It made his heart sad to think of it, but knew she couldn't be with him like this. He glanced down at the pale blonde head under his chin and smiled. He pulled away and look Ana in the eyes._

" _Ana, that Rune guy… go for it," he said. Generally, she didn't need his permission to move on, but he knew better. Ana would constantly believe it wasn't right if she wanted to pursue it._

" _What?" Ana asked, "What do you mean?"_

" _Rune. Go for him. If you like him, jump in," Valmorren said, "Start something. He's nice to you."_

" _B-But, Val… Why-" she began to ask, Valmorren placing a soft kiss on her lips on more time to silence her._

" _Being in love with a deceased person so much it prevents you from being truly happy is useless. You're happier this way. Even if it's stealing things with someone different," he joked. Ana stared at him in bewilderment. He had a smile on his face, which brightened up all the features she still adored. Her heart ached as she began to admit to herself what things she had felt before. Tears threatened the spring out, but were stopped by Valmorren's smooth caress of her cheek as his thumb blocked them from staining her cheeks._

" _Are you sure?" Ana asked, her voice cracking. Valmorren nodded, touching their foreheads together._

" _I love you, Ana."_

" _I love you, too, Val," Ana said, gripping his hands firmly. His warmth began to become cold as she realized she was waking up. She felt panic run through her, but Valmorren remained serene. He opened his eyes and looked at her calmly._

" _I'll always be here if you want to talk. No worries," he said happily before fully fading away._

Ana woke herself up, her fists tightly balled up together. Tears had stuck to her cheeks and her forehead was covered in sweat. She looked around the room tiredly, wondering where everyone had gone and how long she had been asleep. Soon, Enorra peeked in to see if her sister had woken up. She grinned and turned her back on Ana as she came in, her arms looking as if she were cradling something.

"I see you're awake," Enorra said, looking over her shoulder and smiling. Ana stretched her neck to try and see what Enorra was holding. She sat up slowly, careful not to cause herself pain.

"What do you have there, Enorra?" Ana asked. The only reply was a soft giggle before Enorra turned around to face her. A sleeping baby boy was in her arms, his face soft and peaceful. Ana's eyes widened and she reached out to her baby, a smile creeping up on her unnoticed. Enorra handed the boy over and Ana held him as close to her heart as she could. She stared down sweetly at the tiny baby with chubby cheeks and a sort of dark blonde hair from the little that was there. His nose was small and slightly pointed just as his ears were.

"What's his name..?" Enorra whispered, taking Ana's attention away from the child, "He's a boy, too. To help you out."

Ana looked back down at the child, thinking of a name. It would be too awkward to name him Valmorren like his father, yet no other name popped into her mind. She twisted her face up as she thought to herself.

"His cheeks remind me of Molran's when we were kids," Enorra said, Ana taking another look at the child's face. Enorra was right. Whenever Molran would get upset, his cheeks would puff out and his nose would scrunch up, making it appear smaller for a moment or two. Ana chuckled softly as she stroked her index finger across the baby's cheek.

"Then that will be his name," Ana said, "What better way to include our brother in this moment?"

Enorra glanced up at Ana with a smile.

"You always said you wanted to raise us yourself," she joked, making Ana laugh.

"True," Ana said softly, not taking her eyes off of her baby boy, now adopting the name of their fallen sibling.

"I wonder if he'll have Molran's attitude," Enorra said, face blank. Soon, the two began giggling to themselves.

"Gods, I hope he doesn't. I love our brother but my, did he like to yell," Ana said with amusement. Enorra walked over and rested her head against Ana's, staring down at her sister's baby boy.

"So, what now…?" Enorra asked, "Since you have a baby, what will you do now?"

"Brynjolf said I have two years of my attention for Molran and one year of small jobs to help me get things together," Ana said. Enorra gave her a questioning glance. "Don't worry, Enorra. I'll be there for him. Once I trust he's old enough to be alright on his own, I'll take bigger jobs out of the hold."

"Good. I wouldn't want him to have a mother like ours. Distant and uncaring," Enorra commented. Ana frowned and looked at her.

"I won't _ever_ be like that woman. I promise you that," she said, venom seeping out through her words. Enorra felt a twinge of guilt, not meaning it like that.

"I know," Enorra said, "You're much more responsible."

She hugged her sister tightly before leaving her along with the newborn. Ana sighed to herself and looked down at Molran, smiling. She couldn't wait for the years to come.


End file.
